Most of you know, I’m a HUGE proponent of looking on the bright side of things.  I am always looking for the good in the bad.  I may not always find it, but I do look.  That being said, I had a very interesting conversation in the writing class I am taking.  The instructor had asked to see a copy of my book Thinking Positive: Take the Journey into Positivity, so with much fear and quivering hands, I gave her a copy last week. At the end of class last night, we talked about it and one of the women in the class asked if it was all touchy feely, looking on the bright side.

Now, I don’t think it really is, and I told her as much, and she was relieved.  She then went on to relate a story.  Her mom was terminally ill, and she called a friend to talk about it, and that friend responded with, well look on the bright side, you’ll get to see your brothers.  I was appalled.  There are times when you can be looking on the bright side, and there are times when you just need to grieve, vent and rail against the universe.  For that woman, it was one of those times.

Don’t get me wrong, while there is nothing good about this woman losing her mom, I probably could find some positive things going on in life.  I would never, in a million years ever tell her that! Sometimes, you just need to let it be.  In my mind, that is one of those times.  So while I am a huge fan of looking on the bright side, and I always encourage people to do so, I try to read my audience so to speak, and I advise you to do the same.  In the case of the woman in my writing class, I may have said – think about the joy you can bring to your mom when you and your brothers are together reliving the good memories.  That will bring her so much happiness.  That puts the emphasis on her mom (where it should have been all along) and given her something positive to focus on but without the “oh look on the bright side” comment.

I am, and always will be looking on the bright side, and I will always encourage everybody to do the same.  I just hope that I will be cognizant of the emotional state of other people at the same time.  While I always want to spread the positivity bug, I also want to be a good and supportive friend.  So I guess while I’m looking on the bright side, I’ll look out for my friends as well.

I know my blog posts usually deal with the Daily Positive Thought, so I’ll add that in here!

The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it. – Marcus Aurelius

I really like this quote because it’s not just me that’s changing, or you, but the entire universe!  Change is pretty much a given thing, and we can make of it what we want.  We can accept it and roll with it and make the changes positive. Conversely, we can hold on to the status quo and have a knock down drag out with change and be dragged into it kicking and screaming.

To me, this is where looking on the bright side can come into play. Change happens and you and your attitude will determine whether that change is positive or negative.  If you fight the change and resent it, it’s probably going to be negative, but if you embrace it, and work with it, it will be what you want it to be.  Something good and positive.

I try very hard to accept change.  Do I always?  No, of course not.  Sometimes I do fight it, kicking and screaming all the way and I’ve noticed, the times that I do, well they never turn out just the way I want them to.  When I embrace change wholeheartedly, and view it in a positive light, it tends to go much better for me.  Hopefully I’ll get to a place in my life where I do it more consistently.  Hopefully, you will as well and we can cruise on into the future together.