Hello, my friends! Do you mind if I make a quick confession?  As much as I strive to be a positive guy and think happy, empowering thoughts, I must admit that I have my moments of negativity, and most of them tend to be in the morning.  Don’t ask me why, but for some reason I get a huge daily dose of “stinkin’ thinkin’” early in the morning.

So, to combat my negative tendencies in the morning, I have come up with 5 powerful questions that I force myself to answer even if I am in a negative mood and don’t want to.  I hope these questions will help brighten your day by setting a positive tone.

Question #1: What is my PURPOSE?

This one gets me every time because it forces me to look beyond my petty problems and focus on why I am walking on this earth.  This question will vary for all of us, but, in reality, it doesn’t really matter what your purpose is; it only matters that you make it your sole point of focus.

Question #2: What am I GRATEFUL for?

Isn’t human nature funny?  We’ve heard that up to 90% of our thoughts are negative.  I have personally been part of this sad statistic, and I, for the life of me, can’t figure out why?  Why do we insist on harboring negativity in our mind?

I have come to believe that we live in a state of negativity because we are conditioned to be that way.  We have all bought into the mantra “Life is hard” to one degree or another.  When I force myself to focus on all of the things that I am grateful for, I am instantly relieved of my conditioned negativity, and I begin to see the world differently.  I personally believe that gratitude is our gateway to a higher level of thinking and wellbeing, and it is one of the most underappreciated tools that we possess.

Question #3: How May I Serve The World?

When I get super stressed, I tend to start focusing on good old ME!  I ask very disempowering questions, like “Why am I not where I want to be in life,” or “Why can’t things just work out for a change?”  These questions pull me into a state of self-pity, and my energy leaks right out of my body, mind, and spirit.

When I ask this powerful question, I take the focus off of me and place it smack dab on those that I am here to serve.  Without fail, this question gets me excited because I imagine myself helping people and changing their lives for the better.  My stress level instantly starts to plummet, and my spirits rise.

Question #4: Am I On The Right Track?

The answer to this question does NOT come from our rational mind…it comes from our heart.  I ask this question before I meditate and then I FEEL the answer rather than thinking about what it should be or using my reasoning faculties.  If I know what my purpose is then I can allow my heart to tell me if I am living in alignment with it…that is it…no thinking involved with this one…just a direct download from your heart.

Question #5: Is Life Hard, or Is Life Happy?

I firmly believe that I am in control of this one despite any external circumstance.  If I start feeling sorry for myself, I think of the homeless, or those who live in 3^rd world countries, and I quickly realize that I have NOTHING to complain about.  YES, life gets hard sometimes, but it is still up to us to be happy or not.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald eloquently stated:

“Genius is the ability to put into effect what is in your mind.  There’s no other definition of it”

I personally interpret this quote as meaning that I create what is BAD in my life, and I do the same for the GOOD.  So, if I have the power to assign these labels, can I then not assign a “happiness label” to ANY situation good or bad?  Is it not possible to be happy even when life gets rough?

I am not saying that I am perfect at this principle, but I cannot deny the times that I DECIDE to be happy no matter what.  It is our choice my friends. I promise you that.

I hope these questions help you as much as they have helped me.  Please share your comments below, and thank you so much for being who you are. You have so much to give to the world, and I thank you for that.

Life is Good!

Griff