Life is full of positive experiences.  Notice them.  Notice the sun warming your skin, the small child learning to walk, and the smiling faces around you.  Smell the rain, and feel the wind.  Live your life to the fullest potential by reveling in the beauty of these experiences, and letting them inspire you to be the most positive version of YOU.

What would happen if you approached each day intentionally, with a positive attitude?  What would happen if you embraced life’s challenges with a smile on your face?  What would happen if you surrounded yourself with people who made you better?  What would happen if you paused long enough to appreciate it all?

Living a positive life is all about creating positive habits to help you focus on what truly matters.  This is the secret of super positive people.  Here are nine simple ideas to help you follow in their footsteps.

1. Wake up every morning with the idea that something wonderful is possible today.– Smiling is a healing energy.  Always find a reason to smile.  It may not add years to your life but will surely add life to your years.  A consistent positive attitude is the cheapest ‘fountain of youth.’  You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on Earth.  Read The How of Happiness.
2. Celebrate your existence. – Your mind is the window through which you see the world.  The way to make this the happiest day ever is to think, feel, walk, talk, give, and serve like you are the most fortunate person in the whole world.  Open minded, open hearted, and open handed.  Nothing more is needed.  All is well… and so it is.
3. Appreciate life’s perfect moments. – Your life isn’t perfect, but it does have perfect moments.  Don’t let the little things get you down.  You’ve got plenty of reasons to look up at the sky and say, “Thank you, I will do my best to make this a great day.”  So slow down and pause for a moment to stand in awe of the fact that you are alive, and that you have the ability to rediscover life as the miracle it has always been.
4. Embrace life’s challenges. – Uncharted territory in your life is not good or bad, it just is.  Yes, it may rattle your foundation, and you may be tempted to pullback, say you can’t do it, or bail completely.  But these are exactly the conditions that set you up for massive amounts of personal growth.  Each experience through which you pass operates ultimately for your own good.  This is the correct attitude to adopt, and you must be able to see it in this light.  Read Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.
5. Become addicted to constant and never-ending self improvement. – It doesn’t have to be January 1st to give yourself a chance to make the most out of your life.  Every day is a new day to learn, grow, develop your strengths, heal yourself from past regrets, and move forward.  Every day gives you a chance to reinvent yourself, to fine-tune who you are, and build on the lessons you have learned.  It is never too late to change things that are not working in your life and switch gears.  Using today wisely will always help you create a more positive tomorrow.
6. Live and breathe the truth. – It’s the most positive, stress-free way to live, because the truth always reveals itself eventually anyway.  So don’t aim to be impressive, aim to be true.  Those who are true are truly impressive.  Being true means having integrity; and integrity is doing the right thing even when you know nobody is watching.
7. Fill your own bucket. – Choose to be happy for no reason at all.  If you are happy for a reason, you could be in trouble, because that reason can get taken away from you.  So smile right now because you can right now, and make it a point to fill your own bucket of happiness so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry.
8. Help the people around you smile. – Today, give someone one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine they see all day.  Sometimes just a single genuine smile or compliment can lift a person’s spirits to new heights.  At the right time, a kind word from a stranger, or unexpected encouragement from a friend, can make all the difference in the world.  Kindness is free, but it’s priceless.  And as you know, what goes around comes around.  Read A New Earth.
9. Spend time with positive people. – Life’s way too awesome to waste time with people who don’t treat you right.  So surround yourself with people who make you happy and make you smile.  People who help you up when you’re down.  People who would never take advantage of you.  People who genuinely care.  They are the ones worth keeping in your life.  Everyone else is just passing through.

I heard about Debra Vigliano’s work a few years ago. She runs the non-profit Win-Win Resolutions here in Greensboro, NC. This organization is dedicated to violence prevention through conflict resolution skills using theatre education and peer mediation programs. They help reduce violence and prejudice in schools and communities by teaching positive social skills via interactive drama for youth (Pre-K through High School) and adults.

When I was delivering a leadership class for foster teenage women at the Department of Social Services a few years ago, I asked Debra to deliver a graduation speech. She totally engaged the class in a drama that they would never forget! So how could I turn her down when she asked me to be on her Board this year?

Bullying is a big problem today.

Win Win’s C.R.E.W. programs have strong anti-bullying messages and help youth ages 4-18 develop effective communication skills to reduce bullying incidences. With a focus on role-playing, youth are given a safe place to practice effective ways to respond to bully situations and lift up the role of being a positive bystander. The world needs this!

Her programs not only assist youth victims but also provide those who display bullying behavior a means to better understand the motivation behind their aggressive actions and guide them to more positive social interactions.

Elementary through High School sessions are led by a team of professional/licensed counselors and degreed theatre instructors.

This is an organization worth supporting! Believe me, alot of the work I do with grown-ups has to do with managing conflict at work, to be heard, to hold sticky conversations, even with a bully.

All because no one taught us how.

My Way To Peace

People often ask me how I stay positive and recently I’ve thought about that. It’s not that I haven’t had my challenges! But I realize there is an inside game going on so I’ll share that.

• The key is in how you react or respond. You have a choice once you get your emotions out of the way. Choose to respond with thought, not emotion. Get out of your amgdala (lizard brain) and get to your cerebral cortex (thinking, logical part of your brain).
• Get into option mode. Don’t get stuck in your rut, think possibilities and take thoughtful action!
• Look for the lesson. Every situation offers one. Ask why this is happening and how can I affect the outcome?
• Understand people. Give them some slack if they’re acting out of character or having a bad day. Let it roll off. Forgive them.
• Practice graditude. If you’ve experienced a loss, focus on what you do have or what’s right.
• Live in the moment. Really, how much time do you spend just being? Right now is OK. Don’t worry about the future or obsess about the past. Living is in the NOW.
• Be a learner and wonder. The happiest, most successful people are lifelong learners, according to numerous research studies. Learners constantly ask questions and find a sense of wonder in the world.
• Finally, smile alot. Even to strangers. This alone will change how you see the world–connected more than we realize.