chose celebrations over complaints - free printable

"We can either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." ~ Carlos Castaneda


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My son is not a morning person. At. All. So for the past few months we have been trying to teach him that he can actively chose how he feels in the morning. I even made this art print and hung it in his room. With the constant reminder that he gets to chose how he feels, his mood began to improve and lately he is a talkative, chipper, happy kiddo in the mornings!

During this transitional time and with all the many talks of choosing how you feel about certain situations, I realized this is a lesson many makers need to hear, too.

A negative attitude, unfortunately, is not all that uncommon, but I find it distressing - probably because I've been told many times I am annoyingly positive. I am a member of many, many communities, and find the ratio of complaints to celebrations appalling. Of course we all need to complain sometimes, but we shouldn't let it become a habit that chokes out our ability to find the positive in every situation. Let's try to change this mindset. Rather than complain, let's find ways to celebrate. Start and end each day with a grateful heart.

Want to know how I stay so sickeningly positive? Before you complain about something, really weigh the problem, and ask yourself:


Will this matter in five years?


If the answer is no, then why bother complaining about it? How will rallying more people to give power to this negative weight in your life, keeping it in the forefront of your mind, make you feel better? Wouldn't replacing that complaint with something worth celebrating be a better use of your energy? There is always, always, something worth celebrating in every situation. Why not choose to be happy?

In the comments, I would love to hear your perspective - have  you found the silver lining in a discouraging situation? If you have an example of a negative situation you turned into a positive one, please share! 

7 comments:

  1. I love this printable! Its such a great reminder for us all. Sometimes situations can get me down, and I need to remember that I can change my reaction to them. Thank you for posting this!

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  2. Its not so easy with mental illness like anxiety/depression...both of which I pretty much have. so sometimes even getting out of bed and be motivated is a real struggle sometimes. But when if I'm up...and I started to get bothered by something and start to go pissy, I'll try to just take a few deep breaths and logic/talk it out.

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  3. I absolutely love that quote and I agree completely! I'm thinking this needs to hang in my 7 year olds room.....she wakes up with her cranky pants on most mornings (M-F). Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks Celeste! It really did wonders for my son, I hope it helped your daughter out!

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  4. Waiting is the hardest part for me. I've been unemployed for over 7 months now. I've had my moments of sobbing on the floor because I feel so helpless and frustrated but nevertheless I keep going and aim to enjoy life anyway because I don't want to waste that time. Plus, you only have one life to live so why waste it being negative? It's harder some days due to mental illness (borderline personality disorder tendencies) but that just means I have to fight harder than others. :)

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  5. I love this! The printable is amazing, the advice even better. Your attitude is inspiring Cody. You're an amazing person and I'm glad to have met you. c:

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    1. Aw wow! Thank you so much for your sweet words, Chelsea! I am glad our paths crossed & we have become such good friends!

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