Changing Your Thinking: Turning Negatives into Positives

I have a horrible pessimistic attitude sometimes, but I'm learning to turn those negative thoughts into positive thoughts by looking for the good in the bad

So this morning I was feeling overwhelmed about having too much to do when I really need to be working - apartment needs cleaning, courtyard needs cleaning, leaves need to be
raked, and I have to walk to the store & back to get some essentials I can't really do without. I took a deep breath and decided to look for some positive aspects of all this, and this is what I came up with.

1. I have an nice, affordable apartment and a regular income to pay my rent.
2. I have a wonderful little courtyard where I can sit outside and enjoy nature in privacy.
3. Raking leaves is good exercise and give me free mulch for my garden.
4. I have work available to earn money to pay my bills.
5. I am physically able to walk to the store, and have money to purchase my needs.
6. I have food in my kitchen enough to get me through the end of the month.

So I am truly blessed, and all that needs to be done will be done eventually, probably before the weekend is out. In the meantime, I'm blessed to be able to work from the comfort of my home, nice and relaxed, not having to be on my feet all day as I was at my last brick-and-mortar job.

I hate to use the cliche "Look for the silver lining," and I realize that in some circumstances, this is pretty impossible. I've been in situations where "I'm still alive" was the only positive I could find, but even that is a blessing and a starting point toward better things.

See if you can do this the next time you're overwhelmed and feeling like the world is crashing down on you. Find at least one positive thing to hang onto while you clear the wreckage. 

Feel free to tell me your survival stories in the comments, where positivity helped you get through hard times.