Tuesday August 16, 2016 #822

“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”

 ~Martha Washington

822

We possess the amazing ability in almost any situation to choose to be optimistic, cheerful and happy.  While it is not possible to always remain positive and cheerful when faced with tragedy and even normal life challenges, we can choose how we react to these realities of our existence.  First, choose not to ignore them, but to embrace the feelings in the moment, honor them, and if appropriate, utilize the love of family or friends to help navigate these feelings.  If not appropriate or no one is available, then we must navigate this on our own.  Focus on what we can control, take action to deal with what we can, and then courageously and with intention, move on.  Reflect on positive and nurturing people and circumstances in our lives, and begin to intentionally focus on being cheerful, even if you have to act “as if”, until the act becomes reality.  It isn’t easy at first, which is why we must practice this process during smaller challenges whenever we can so we can be prepared and trained to navigate the larger challenges of our lives when they inevitably occur.