Turning Negatives into Positives . . . Changing the Way We View Our Circumstances

When you look at this image what do you see?

And if you look again, do you see the same image?


Do you see a pretty young maiden. . .?  


Or do you see a haggard old woman? 


And when you look again, do you see the same image?


I rediscovered this fascinating drawing when I was busy cleaning out my bursting-at-the-seams file cabinet last week. 


I have had this illustration for years but this time it vibrantly illustrated for me, the different ways different individuals view life. 


 Negatively?  Positively?  


Which ones are the happiest?


Which ones are we drawn to?

In A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, Tigger is cheerful and enthusiastic.  Another character Eeyore the donkey, while lovable, "is dismally gloomy for almost eternity." 


If you say "Good Morning to Eeyore he replies http://www.just-pooh.com/assets/audio/eeyore/eyegmorn.wav

To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.
                                                                                                                         Ralph Waldo Trine


We can take simple steps to make sure we, and subsequently others, have a good positive day.  If we can't make it an entire day, we can start with just the morning, or maybe just an hour.

Happiness increases automatically when we

• Look for the good in any situation 
• View a glass as half full rather than half empty
• Count blessings rather than problems

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life: 

• It turns what we have into enough, and more --- 
• It turns denial into acceptance --- 
• Chaos to order ---
• Confusion to clarity ---
• It can turn a meal into a feast ---
• A house into a home, 
• A stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         (thanks to Melody Beattie for her wonderful insight insight and reminders on gratitude)

Warning: Attitude Adjustments don't happen overnight!

But they can happen! At first we have to be aware of how, over and over, our attitude can change as fast as our situation ----- and practice, over and over, turning the negative into the positive ---- as often as necessary.

There is no time like the present to begin . . .

A Short Prayer

Dear Lord,

     So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent. I’m very thankful for that.

    But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help.                                                               author unknown