Have you ever noticed how easy it is for people to be happy, excited, and positive when things go well? When there are no big problems, people feel good, and life is great! At those times, it is easy to be in a good mood. But, can you be in a good mood when things are not going well?

In general, when things are going well and there are no immediate problems, most people find it easy to be positive. As a result, they are in a good mood, and have a good day.

(For some people, it really doesn't matter if they are having a good day or a bad day. They remain convinced that even if something good is happening now, it certainly won't last. I honestly don't understand how someone with this line of thinking could ever be in a good mood.)

However, what about those times when a problem comes up? What happens when something unpleasant presents itself? It's not so easy to remain positive...or is it?

Nobody wants to have a problem come up, no matter how small. However, negative and unpleasant circumstances are going to happen from time to time. That's just a part of life. Tires wear out, sinks get clogged, and sometimes, people just do stupid things!

When something negative does comes up, most people change from being happy and positive to being upset. The circumstances and situations have changed, and consequently their mood changes. For some people, even the slightest bump in the road can really set them off emotionally!

Our emotions and feelings are a direct product of our thoughts. We are the ones who choose our thoughts. We can't always choose what happens in life, but we can always choose what we think.

I'm not saying that we should try to live in a make believe world by telling ourselves blanket statements like, "Nothing is wrong; everything is okay." We certainly do need to assess the situation in order to respond with specific positive statement.

What? Respond with a positive statement? Yes, respond with a positive statement. A solution oriented statement. (Maybe even respond with two or three positive statements!)

Suppose you come home from the grocery store to find that your eggs are broken, because of the way they were packed into your grocery bag at the store. What would your reaction be?

You could get angry. You could say, "Now I've got to go all the way back to the store! Why don't they teach those young kids how to do it right? I knew he had a lousy attitude...probably did it on purpose. I'm going to talk to the manager!"

Hey! Chill out! This may sound like a silly illustration, but as a teenager I worked at a grocery store, putting items into grocery bags, and believe me, I have seen far worse reactions!

Can you respond with a positive statement for this situation? Sure! Why not?

"Okay, I'll just take these back now. I wonder, is there anything else that I need while I'm out? I I'm certainly glad that there are plenty of eggs at the store. In fact, I'm glad to have so much food available right down the street."

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