A Positive Light

  
     The fresh start of the new year shines bright on December 31st and by January's end it's usually lights out for our resolutions. Lose 10 pounds or 20 or 30. Put away that pack of cigarettes...forever. No more soft drinks. Ever. Put a cold turkey stop to whatever vices we have! Or not. Resolutions are abandoned by Valentines Day.
     The tangible things seem hardest to banish. We're taunted and tempted by cruel commercials and billboards advertising the very things we've vowed to quit. The couch lovers' resolutions to get healthy and hit the gym must drive the dedicated gym rats crazy. Elliptical machines and spinning classes are over run with resolute new members. The regulars have seen it year after year. No long term worries for them because they are well aware that the nuisance is short lived.
     I stopped resolutions years ago. At first, it was because I was just too busy and stressed to make (let alone follow through on) resolutions. Caught up in family schedules, a constant need for more financial security, and the drive to help my son and daughter realize their own dreams, it was so much easier to resolve to do nothing except finish out the week, month or year without careening off a mountain of worry.
     You can only live on stress for so long before it kills you...or your family threatens to harm you. I owe my children a debt of gratitude for forcing a change in my constantly repeating negative thoughts that only served to amp up my stress level. And I owe each and every brand spankin' new year a big thanks for giving me a spectacular reminder, complete with champagne and fireworks, that positive thoughts equal a positive life. It's the time of year that I forgo resolutions and renew my commitment to positivity.
     As Eckhart Tolle has said, "your inner conversation is your outward manifestation." Plain and simple, negativity is very, very bad for us both physically and mentally. I know it's a tough habit to break but keep in mind that repeating a positive behavior or thought over and over again will train your brain to stay in it's happy place. Yes, it's as simplistic as it sounds and research proves that you'll live a healthier life if you commit to positivity.
     People with more positive attitudes show lower levels of cardiovascular risk, lower levels of stress hormones and lower levels of inflammation. The Mayo Clinic, in published reports, affirms that having a positive attitude has been shown to increase your life span and provide greater resistance to the common cold. Less chance for a cold? I would have signed on years ago based on that fact alone.
     I will be the very first to admit that, when faced with some of life's more extreme upheavals, it takes every ounce of energy you can muster to slog through the flood of emotion. The death of a loved one, a lost job, a wayward teen, a sick baby...these are hard to navigate. When the tide rises and tragedy looms, positive thinking can build up your resilience and help you deal effectively with stress and challenges.
     It takes practice to keep positive thoughts flowing. The first step is awareness. Remind yourself daily that negative thoughts can be replaced by positive thoughts. The brain, as the keeper of our memories, will, by its very nature, hold on to repeated thoughts. The key is to keep them positive.
     Practicing thankfulness automatically puts your mind in a positive place. It's impossible to be grateful and negative at the same time. I know people who keep gratitude journals. I don't need another "to do" on my list so I scatter my gratitude throughout the day in my little conversations with myself and God. Don't laugh. It's those conversations that keep me sane. I spend a good portion of the day looking for the good in things and talking myself down from mental ledges.
     Since I'm human, I know that perfection is unattainable. I'm just thrilled that I finally made that realization. Or, I should say, I'm thrilled that my family kicked my ass into realizing that there's a better way to live.