Every day is another opportunity for the growth of our souls as we experience this human existence as intended. Take a minute to give gratitude for another day. Even if you feel you have nothing to celebrate, you have been given a new chance to make the day count and find some joy by making each moment count. Every day is a chance to change your life. You have the power to make today and everyday positive, productive and beneficial to your future and goals.

We all aspire to be happy, but life often seems difficult. What we need to learn is that challenges will always come and go. It is likely that these difficult situations will repeatedly arise. However, it is not our circumstances that determine our happiness yet rather it is our reactions to our circumstances. We can either dwell on a negative occurrence or we can learn from the situation and focus on what we are thankful for. My favorite analogy is to “float downstream.” Struggling and fighting against the current does not make life any easier. Go with the flow and let go of feeling poorly about a situation that is out of your control.

We often get so caught up in our thoughts. Thoughts easily turn negative as worry, anxiety, sadness, anger or fear consume us. What most people do not realize is that recognizing negative emotions is the first step to finding our own happiness. Our emotions are a direct result of our current thought process.

Maybe that seems obvious. Or maybe you are thinking it is obvious you are going to feel bad if your circumstances are less than adequate. But the issue is that we often confuse the thoughts in our head with actual reality. Science cannot really explain where our consciousness comes from. It is unknown where our thoughts derive from. But amazingly, we do have the power to take control our own thoughts.

Two people may experience the exact same situations and circumstances. But one person may be able to process the situation more effectively than the other. While one person facing a difficult life situation may feel defeated and consumed by despair, the other may accept the situation and focus on the hope for improved circumstances. There is what really happened and what your mind has perceived to be reality. Life truly is what you make it.