As much as I hate to admit this, I often zoom in on the negative aspects of things. I get some good news… and I dwell on the one little thing that could go wrong. I get some bad news… and, well, it’s Negativity City.

So, in an effort to begin to break that cycle, today I’m discussing some news and events in my life, beginning with the “bad” news (none of these things are truly bad. I’m just a whiner) and then ending with the good about each thing, so that the good will be my focus.

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The Bad News: There’s a pretty good chance that some of my coworkers, students, their parents, etc., are going to find out that I have a blog. And that’s weird for me, because I try to keep a line (albeit blurry) between “Mrs. S” and “Cassie,” and this blog is definitely on the “Cassie” side of the line.
The Good News: That’s because I’m going to write for Discover Northeast Colorado, a local website that covers events around this part of the state. That means more writing, more publicity, more doing something I love and want to pursue. And that’s a very good thing, both for me to do and for my students to see.

The Bad News:
The Good News: That day, I didn’t have to be anywhere until 8:45. That’s an hour and forty-five minutes later than I usually have to be somewhere. I spent it reading blogs and drinking coffee, and it was glorious.

The Bad News: That same jury duty day, on my way home for lunch, I got a speeding ticket. A big one. Because I’m an idiot and forgot that a certain section of a road I drive every single day (but never during school hours, obviously) is a school zone when the sign’s lights are flashing. The lights were flashing.
The Good News: One, I can afford to pay it. I mean, it hurts, but it’s not like I have to skip dinner for a week. And two, I will never, ever make that mistake again.

The Bad News: I really kinda wanted to run Monument Marathon in the fall. But now I can’t.
The Good News: I can’t because I’ll be the sponsor of Student Council next year (Homecoming is the same weekend as the race, and Homecoming is Student Council’s thing). As the STUCO adviser, I’ll get to work with some great kids and help them to discover how to lead and who they can be as leaders. And that’s pretty exciting. Plus, I get to do this marathon instead, and I’m super excited for it.

So as you can see, there is plenty of positivity that I can focus on. And really, the fact that these minor issues are the “bad” in my life is pretty positive in itself. So I need to spend more time in Positivity City and send the negativity packing!

Do you tend to dwell on the negative, too, or am I the only one?

What are your tricks for staying positive?