Look- I am not saying I am the most positive person in the world. I have plenty of days where I don't think I can do anything right, and days where I feel like I am on top of the world. I decided for the new year I wanted to seize every opportunity that came my way. Becoming more of a positive person for me means not letting my doubts stop me from achieving my goals and realizing even when things don't go as I planned there's still hope. Nobody is positive all the time and that's okay. There is a difference however, going through life actively trying to see positivity in your everyday life and assuming the worse. I have had a quitter mentality for a long time. The word "can't" was in my vocabulary far too much. I would constantly sell myself short because I thought some ideas/dreams were too far off for me to actually accomplish. When you have this mentality you watch others pass you by, accomplishing milestones whether getting a new job or writing a book. While I have always been proud in watching fellow peers accomplish their dreams, it dawned on me why I wasn't doing the same.

The journey to having a positive mentality is one that I still struggle with daily. It is comfortable to fall back into a place that feels familiar. Whether you necessarily like where you are or not sometimes it's easier to fall back. It truly hit me that I was allowing myself to be held back when I reflected on this past year. I realized I didn't take chances on myself from being scared of the unknown. I wasn't thinking positively and definitely not thinking I could achieve my goals. I decided for the new year I wanted to seize every opportunity that came my way. Now for some it's not easy to get up one day and just be "positive." When it doesn't come naturally it's something you have to work for constantly. There are plenty of self-help books on being more positive and steps to get there. One of my favorite books is In the Meantime by Iyanla Vanzant. It focuses more on loving yourself and finding the love you want. While this book may seem like it focuses on romantic love it also delves in deeper to truly loving yourself and peeling back the layers of doubt and insecurities. Once I reflected on my past I realized there were a multitude of reasons why I wasn't seeing life in a positive mindset and knew I wanted to change it.

I found the easiest way to become a more positive person was to first write a list of things I wanted in life even if seemed far fetched. Within that list I focused on what I felt I could accomplish within this year and changes I wanted to make personally. The goal of being a more positive person is not knowing if everything you want is necessarily going to happen but allowing yourself to at least try. As well knowing even if you didn't get that internship or the best grade on an exam, there's always room for growth and learning. While I am still on this journey of seeing positivity in everything I do, I have noticed a change in myself and life around me. I stopped using words that deprived me of growing and excelling, and started focusing on what I have accomplished and realizing I have more to offer than I ever thought before. As well, making sure I surrounded myself with people who gave off positive energy and helping each other grow as individuals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MbflTwnJu4