Staying Positive

I am sick to death of negativity in people, and I am trying hard to rid myself of it. Not an easy task. I guess the easiest way to keep most of it out is to stay away--far away--from people with consistently negative attitudes. The hardest part is keeping it from rearing its ugly head in my own brain.

Growing up, I was bombarded with negativity (That's putting it nicely!), and it has taken years to work through its horrible effects. If I could only reach back and tell the child I was that none of it was true! I could cry about what she went through. When I see pictures of myself as a child, I want to tell her that she was beautiful just the way she was, that she was creative and smart, that she was kind and compassionate, that she was special. At least I know it now.

There is a line in a song that I love that claims that when our children are born, they are born into "wiser lives" because of us. I hope my children know how special they are to me and to the world--that the world became more beautiful the very moment they arrived. If that is true, then something positive has come from my experiences.

I hope that in 2009, when life hands me tough spots and tough people, that I can rise above them all and see the gifts that come as result. I hope that I can steer clear of negative thoughts about myself and others, and just keep forging ahead--staying positive--looking for the beauty and the goodness that I am graciously offered.