Every day, we make hundreds of choices starting from the moment we wake to the moment we drift off to sleep at night. Every day, we have a choice to listen to our harsh inner critic or silence her and think positive about ourselves, our situations and our lives. How often do we say nasty things to ourselves? What would happen if instead of criticizing ourselves we lifted ourselves up and celebrated little victories we achieve throughout the day?

Thinking positive, talking to ourselves in a more loving way, takes practice and can seem silly at first. Over time, though, the more we speak to ourselves with kindness and compassion, the more we will find our moods lifting and our outlook on our lives and situations brighten. And the more we think positive, the more positive our lives will become. Think positive, be positive.

True, bad things happen during the day. But we can choose how we react to those things and look for the silver lining in whatever happens to us. Ask yourself, what can I learn from this situation? What has what just happened taught me about myself? What good can come of this? The more we look for the good, the better our lives become.

If finding the good in situations is difficult, perhaps consider a starting a gratitude journal. At the beginning or end of every day, list three to five good things for which you are grateful. Gratitude is the birthplace of joy after all. Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. Sometimes you may have to look a little harder for the good, but I guarantee you the good is there. Did you enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the morning? Did you cross some items off your to-do list? Did you speak to a friend or loved one today? Did you feel the sun on your shoulders? Did the rain water the flowers that soon will bloom?

Thinking positive, be positive. It starts with reminding ourselves that we choose how we react to situations and things that happen to us during the day. You can choose to react in a positive way and glean something positive from a situation, or you can choose to react negatively and be left feeling sad or angry. The choice is up to you. How will you live your life today?