It is hard not to be negative when things in the world aren’t looking so positive.  What I have noticed is that negativity breed’s negativity. It is also hard to be negative when you are around people that are always looking at the bright side of everything, now it might also be annoying to be in a negative space and have someone disregard your feelings and say something positive.

Negativity is our mind or thoughts controlling us.  One thought leads to another, and then another and before you know it, you might find yourself homeless, and sick (In your mind).  When my mind starts going to those dark places, I realize that it is my mind and if I let it, it will take me down a path that is going to make me feel crummy.  So with this in mind, as soon as it starts to go there, I look at it and laugh and say “there it goes” and then immediately I take it to a positive place.

Now, if you have had a truly terrible day, it’s okay to acknowledge it, just don’t let yourself become that bad day.  Don’t call all of your friends and keep talking about how bad it was. The more you talk about it, the more it keeps being a bad day. Okay, so you had a bad day, say to yourself, “good, that day is over, and tomorrow will be a better day” Call a friend a go have some fun, go to a movie, let the bad day go.

If things have happened in your day that seem unreasonable or bad, look at it, and see how you participated.  If something happens that doesn’t feel good in your day, look at it, and see how you can shift it, don’t take what happened and keep talking about how it happened and how bad it is. Let it go. When one bad thing happens and you make big deal about it, have you noticed that another bad thing will happen, and then another bad thing, it snowballs. That’s how bad days happen.  Sometimes just doing the same thing with the day that and you did with your mind, if something bad happens, laugh and take notice, and don’t let it snowball.

So, with our teens we teach them by example. If they see us constantly getting upset over things happening in our day, they will learn to behave the same way.  Teach them by example and also teach them how powerful the mind is and where it can take us. If our teens are having a bad day, talk to them about it, ask them why, and show them how easy it is to shift their bad day to a good day. Try not to discount their feelings, allow they to have them and have the space to explore why they are having them. Then move them into looking at letting it go and shifting their attitude to a more positive place.

Being positive feels better to us and helps our days play out differently, Things that we view as bad things happening are just an opportunity to look at who we are and how to evolve and become better people.

You pack your bags, get all your snacks together, and get your favorite pillow.  No schedule to catch a plane that is delayed, no crummy airport food, no breathing someone else’s air for 2 to 3 hours, and for me no 2 hour drive to the airport. This is why I love road trips. I can stop when I want and even change my direction if I so feel inclined.

Tuesday at 4:30 P.M. we packed the car with 2 other friends and headed for Boulder Utah.  If you have never been to Boulder Utah, you are surely missing out.  The Boulder Mountain Lodge is a cozy, quaint hide away in the mountains, of Southern Utah.  My favorite part of the lodge is Hells Backbone Grill; this is an amazing restaurant where these two delightful women Blake and Jen pour their love into ever meal that is served.  They use mostly produce from their own garden, and their employees are more like family.

This is the second year that we have gone, and while we don’t want to wear out a good thing, I get sad at the thought of not returning next Thanksgiving.  One of things I loved most was that we were not on a schedule because we drove.  I realize that road trips are not for everyone, and have to admit my body was screaming for short moments, although planes do the same to me.

One of my favorite road trips has to be the one with my youngest daughter. Lindsay was 25 years old and we laughed the whole way to our destination. Have you noticed how much you laugh when you on road trips.  I urge you if you haven’t taken a road trip in a while, take one. Start with a short one and see how it feels.

I would love to hear about any road trips you have taken, and why you like them or don’t.