In the past people have accused me of wearing rose colored glasses. Okay, maybe not all people, but I distinctly remember my x-husband saying this to me (yes, I have an x-husband, but that’s a story for another time) and thinking, “What the heck? What are rose colored glasses?” The way I looked at it was that I had two ways of thinking in life, the glass is half empty or half full, and I tend to feel it’s half full. So when my x-husband and I divorced, while I may have felt overwhelmingly sad about the situation, I pushed forward and tried to look at the rest of my life. I was 34-years-old, I had a big wide world of possibility in front of me that I hadn’t had when I was partnered and there was no looking back.

Maybe it’s true that I glossed it over and was a bit too rosy in light of the seriousness of divorce, but I’ve always felt it takes people radiating positivity to help drive hope and change. It takes people who can take a beating and get up and decide that’s not going to define them. It also takes positive people to lift up those who are struggling and need love and support.

Here’s the way I look at it: We are all in this together. How I view the world and relate to it, will affect all who are around me. I realize that I can’t hammer you with my intensity, without sharing the joyful moments as well. And there’s never been a more important time to embrace this. We live on a planet in chaos. I am not sure if it’s ever not been in some sort of chaos thanks to mankind. We’ve had war since the beginning of our existence. We have suffered from famine, disease, mental illness and heartache. We feel deeply. We long deeply. We always want to know why? Why is this happening to me? Why is this happening to our planet? Why aren’t things easier, better, simpler?

This week I saw an instagram that said “radiate positivity.” Positivity is infectious. It can turn a situation going wrong, right quickly. But how do you maintain positivity and strive for a positive planet in light of so much that seems upside down and backwards?

Keep it simple
Keep it local
Keep your eyes open
Repeat this over and over

We aren’t all born with a positive nature and some of us lose it along the way due to life experiences. But we can work on ourselves to invite positivity into our lives. Positivity can be taught and shared. So here’s what I want to share with you…over the last five years I have been in circles and watched women who have struggled with pain, heartache, addiction, disappointment, disability and loss. I have watched them make space to be open to positivity. I have watched the refresh, the reset, the realization that the earth is magical and when we hold one another up, anything is possible.

Is it time for you to put rose colored glasses on and drink from a half full cup?

Here are some books I am reading right now:

Becoming – Michelle Obama
A Beautiful Work in Progress – Mirna Valerio
Running Home – Katie Arnold
Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World – Deborah Reber

Photo by my beautiful friend Arika: @zionadventurephotog