Challenges - Always Look On the Bright Side of Death

There are many sayings out there, such as always look on the bright side of life, every cloud has a silver lining, and even you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Attitude can make a big difference in life. Sometimes all it takes is changing the way you look at things to turn them around. When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and faced many mood swings, where everything was either really, really good, or really, really bad. But I think that is true is many teenagers, they tend to think everything is absolute - the end of the world or the best ever. My mom always told me that it was best to sleep on things, to give it a little time and it won't seem so bad. And even in my extremes, I found it to be true. Just when things seem their absolute worst, give it a good night's sleep or a little time and it will not seem to be so massive. So, when making big decisions, I try to leave myself some time before I make them. Now, that doesn't mean I get to let myself off the hook. The decision still needs to be made. And stuck to. I had one friend who was never able to make any decisions. He would procrastinate until all his options were gone. Then, he didn't have to make a decision, instead they were made for him - by either someone else or by the situation. So, putting things off too long can be just as bad as making snap decisions. There has to be a balance.

Another thing you have think about is the people around you. Whether you realize it or not, attitudes are contagious. If you are constantly around people who are negative and look at the bad side of things, you will find yourself either seeing things the same way. Or you will find yourself constantly exhausted with trying to remain optimistic against the tide. Now, there are some people in your life who may be negative that you can't avoid all the time, such as family members, or people you work with. But, you can counteract that by spending away time with people who are uplifting and positive. There is also a difference between venting to let things go and being a constant complainer. Letting a friend vent to you, or rant about something is something that can be good. But putting up with or being someone like that will attract that kind of energy to you. Sometimes it's hard to recognize that it's even happening. I'll be having a conversation with someone who is negative, I'll think I am not being influenced, but when I look back, I realize how it tainted my thinking and I started looking at things in a more negative light. But also, the same goes for the opposite. When I am with someone who looks at things in a positive light, I find myself feeling more positive and encouraged. Negative tend to look at why things will never work out, while positive people tend to find reasons why they will, and also find ways to make them work.

Now, as I said, you can't always surround yourself with positive people. And in my life, I don't always look on the bright side. In fact, sometimes I find myself complaining more than I like. But - being aware of it, I am trying to change that. I am trying to be a more positive person, be with more positive people, and look for reasons it will work instead of why it won't.