“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an unexplored land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” -Helen Keller

Depending on where you live, you could wake up to spring daffodils and birdsong or you could be shoveling out the latest snowfall. She sometimes feels like nothing is happening and today is just a repeat of yesterday. But whatever your circumstances, remember, this too shall pass. Change is just around the corner.

How can you make the most of what is or isn’t happening in your life right now? You may not be able to change your circumstances, but how could you change your attitude toward your circumstances? What if you turned what you’re telling yourself about your circumstances on its head and rephrased it so that it empowers you? For example, try removing the words should, could, can’t, or never from your self-talk. Replace them with words that build you up instead of tearing you down.

We are all involved in way too much negative self-talk. Just look around you and you will see it reflected in the world. The more we focus and talk about everything that is wrong with the world, the more we collectively seed the pool of thoughts of lack and limitation. It is this all-or-nothing thinking that keeps us stuck in this endless pattern.

Wouldn’t it be more fun to indulge in thoughts and words that accentuate the positive in our lives? We can all do this by paying attention to what we think and say. As thoughts arise in your mind, notice how you feel. You can tell by the way you feel if your thoughts are encouraging you or leading you into a downward spiral of negativity.

Watch what you say. Your words contain powerful energy. Whatever you say out loud acts like a boomerang and comes right back to you. The point is that you have the power to choose at every moment which path you want to take through life. You don’t have to do it alone. Find others who are getting off the beaten path to support you. You could start a book group or join a group with others who may be interested in personal growth. You can start planting new seeds of positive thoughts right now, and then water them daily with positive affirmations.

You can change your life. One thought at a time.