In December I wrote a blog (but didn’t post it) on the difference between being happy and being positive.  At that time, I noticed a lot of articles on happiness.  It was the holiday season so why not push happiness on us during a period that can be depressing and stressful?  But, I just didn’t feel like posting it and I (obviously) found something else to write about. But now feels like the right time so here it is:

A friend once told me that there’s a difference between being positive and being happy. She said that happiness is something that happens that puts a smile on your face – like hearing that first bird chirp after a cold winter.  Positivity is a way of thinking and living – regardless of what’s happening in your life. Makes sense right?

Happiness is the easy part.  Inevitably something will happen in your day and you’ll laugh, smile, etc.  For example, one time I made a list of things that  I could do that felt happy:

• Do an unexpected and unconditional favor
• Smile at a stranger
• Have a sugar cookie with amazing frosting
• Start a conversation with a stranger
• Hug someone who needs it (or even those who don’t need it).
• Hug my kids
• Walk outside
• Complement a stranger (this is so fun!)
• Buy yourself flowers and/or buy them for someone else
• When driving, stop and allow someone to cross the street
  Give money to the organizations that feel good to me

Being positive means a whole mindset change.  It’s not the sort of thing that happens overnight.  It requires really thinking about what you enjoy in life, how you want to live and how you want others to feel around you.

So, for the positivity piece, here are my daily habits:

• Focus on the end result (a positive mindset), remembering that’s the goal..
• Getting rid of the garbage in your life (literally and figuratively!).  You know what things in your life drag you down.  Time to be choosy.
• Complain less, smile more.  Imagine that you’re already positive.
• See bad things as a blessing in disguise. See failure as a stepping stone to success.
• Tell yourself that your desire to be positive outweighs your desire to have a negative reaction to some event.  After awhile, it’ll become second nature.

Maybe I wanted to post this now, because it’s getting lighter earlier and we’re all feeling a bit happier.  So, it seems like the perfect time to begin thinking about changing to a positive mindset.  Look, I’m by no means perfect (ask anyone who knows me!), but I think my friends would say I’m a fairly positive person.  And, to get there, I worked on these habits every single day (even when my kids were driving me crazy!).  Worth a shot, right?

Have a fantastic weekend!