I recently read a quote that said, “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them.  Ships sink because of the water that gets in them.  So, don’t let what happens around you get inside and weigh you down.”  Makes sense, right?  Easier said than done?  You bet!  Every day we are bombarded with negative news in the paper, on the television, and on social media.  When was the last time you asked someone how their day was and their answer was, “Great”?  My guess is it has been a while.  Sadly, the answers are usually, “It was just Ok”, “I’ve had better”, or “Terrible”.  Eventually, no matter how positive your attitude may be, the negativity that surrounds us like a thick, dark cloud begins to seep into our pores and take up residence in our minds.  Then, when we hit a rough spot and a hole is punched in our lives, that dark cloud penetrates and starts to weigh us down.  When that happens, it seems like the rough spots are more frequent and more holes are punched, allowing the blackness to invade until we are drowning, our bodies too heavy to swim or float.

Life cannot always be rainbows and unicorns, and it is unrealistic to have such expectations.  But we can sail our ships on oceans filled with waters that are positive.  We can choose our friends and surround ourselves with people that make us feel good about ourselves, those that are supportive of us, those that live their lives by setting a positive example—those that answer the question, “I had a great day, thank you!  How was yours?”  We can adopt a mindset that overlooks the negative and steers away from the drama.  As captain of your ship, you chart the course. By making decisions that will lead you to positive waters, you are ensuring that when your ship is being tossed about in turmoil and holes get punched in it, the water that seeps in will be lighter and absorb more quickly, allowing you to mend the hole and become stronger ahead of the next storm.