One thousand days of positivity

Is the glass half empty or half full? If you ask me, I’ll tell you that it’s all the way full – half with water and half with air. I’ve always considered myself to be an optimist, and I really believe that positive thinking is a powerful skill. Like any other skill, it’s important to practice it.

At the end of my freshman year of high school, I started a positivity journal. After each day, I would fill one line in the book with my favorite things about that day. Now, over two-and-a-half years later, I’m still continuing this tradition. On Dec. 14, I filled 1,000 lines in my journal for 1,000 days of positive thinking.

Flipping through the pages of my book, I can really see how one quick, daily reflection has added up – and more than just on paper. Keeping track of the good things in my life has changed the way I act. I’ve learned to be grateful for what I have and to always look on the optimistic side of situations.

Of course, nobody has a perfect life with only happy memories. Sometimes, on really bad days, I have trouble thinking of anything good that had happened that day. However, this activity forces me to find something positive that came out of the past 24 hours. Not every day may be good, but there is something good about every day. When I do have bad days, reading through old entries in the book remind me of this and can always make me smile. I’ve become more appreciative of and grateful for the little things.

I would definitely recommend trying out a daily way to practice the power of positive thinking, even if it’s only for a few weeks. Doing a daily positive reflection could even be a good New Year’s resolution! For me, I’ll be continuing my positivity journal, hopefully for another one thousand days and more!