I always try to have a positive outlook on life; you know trying to have the mindset “Things always happen for a reason”, “God has a plan for you” and “When one door closes, another one opens.”  Being an eternal optimist is what I strive for, especially in the world we live where constant negativity surrounds us.  Staying positive is the key to have a productive life.  It enables us to be invincible and have that mentality that anything is possible; it’s what fuels us to pursue our wildest dreams no matter what.  It’s a strong driving force that knows no bounds.  Being positive endows us with unlimited energy to endure when others give up.

But there are times when it’s just plain difficult to stay on that path, I’m only human after all.  Granted there are days when despair and frustration sets in and it just kills the fight in me.  It beats me to a pulp and spits out every ounce of optimism left in my fiber.  When this happens I turn into what I despise the most…negative comments start spewing out of my mouth like there’s no tomorrow.  At times it feels as if a lot of pent up pessimism and gloomy thoughts overcome rational thinking; like a narcotic drug taking hold of an unwilling host.  Let me tell you once you get a taste of it, it’s easy to become addicted.  You vent to one person and another and another; it brings them down and they start to spout unfavorable things to other people.  I can truly understand how it can spread like a virus causing a pandemic.

Luckily we all have someone or a group of people that will listen to us, show compassion, tell us like it is or give sage advices.  It’s in those instances where our sense of optimism gets reinvigorated; we start to feel like a heel for being negative in the first place.  I can honestly say that without that crucial support system, I would be a constant mess roaming the streets and contributing to the downfall of our society.  No matter how bad things get, my positivity will always win out over the battle with negativity.  It’s a war that is continually waged inside of me; I accept that as a part of life. 

Staying positive takes time and truly requires A LOT of skill.  You just need to carefully maneuver through all the detrimental obstacles and maintain a sense of balance within yourself and time with your family and friends.  I’m at that stage in my life where I learned to appreciate what I have instead of what I don’t.  It’s easy to overlook what’s around you so I take the time each day to reflect on all the good things surrounding me.  Basking in that makes me feel as if I’ve won the lottery. 

I’m grateful for my wonderful family and friends that are my support system; they’re the glimmer of hope that appear at the end of the tunnel whenever hardships are occurring throughout my life. 

 If we all can find that support system the enables our positive side to exude our being, then the world would be a little less chaotic and negative.  I’ll do my part to try and spread a little bit of optimism to those I come in contact with; until then I will try to accentuate the positive in my life.