There are so many things that you cannot control or change and a few that you can, including your own decisions. You might not be as helpless as you feel. Acknowledging your shortcomings is a good first step, but don't stop there. You have the power to grow and change over time.

Plan for success, work hard, and be grateful for it. If you fail, it is not the end of the world. Life is a mixture of success and failure. Being content no matter how things turn out is a huge success in and of itself.

Take a few minutes to picture several years - even many - down the road. How would you like to feel about these areas of life as you look back

• Did the challenges/roadblocks of life make you stronger and more persistent OR angrier and more impatient?
• Has your DAY-TO-DAY attitude reached "a higher altitude," OR did you slip into a "same old, same old" indifference?
• Did you learn, and then improve, in your people relationships, allowing yourself to become more appreciative and caring, OR did you let what negative people said about you to change how you see yourself and treat others?

Decide today to choose success in these three vital parts of your life!

Would you like to be more of a problem solver and less of a problem creator? Here are three ways to get started:

• Become a better, more attentive listener to avoid misunderstanding
• Help a friend solve a problem. Intentionally caring about others helps you to care more about yourself!
• Be observant. Everyone around you, no matter how old they are, can teach you something by their lives or their advice!

Here's an assignment: Write a story about yourself with an ending that makes you smile. What's that? Do you like the idea but are too lazy to write the story? That's ok. Do it the lazy way. Go for a walk or go to a quiet place. Set a timer if you need to. Spend a half hour imagining something in your life with a happy ending. It will be comforting for your soul!

Now might be a good time for a six-month check-up, a mental/emotional evaluation. To keep it simple, try this:
What is one area in which I know I can and will do better in my attitude and actions?
What is one area of how I think, act, react, and put into action that I'm progressing in?
What's one part of my life, even if it is not a very big part, in which I'm doing well enough that I am going to celebrate? Push away those "I'm not worthy of celebrating" negative thoughts. All positive work deserves pride!

Try to think of two positive things you do, places in your community you go to, or positive-minded people you associate with. Imagine you doubled the number of times you spent with those uplifting influences. Imagine all the extra positive words, life contentment, fulfillment, fun, attitude, actions, and happiness! It is worth it to choose to act for positivity.

When discouragement tells you, "You will never get rid of me," argue back. "First of all, you don't have the power you think you have, and secondly, I will keep working until I have gloriously redecorated your old room in my mind!"

When everything around you seems to make no sense, return to what you know to be true. Anchors of truth help us navigate seasons of uncertainty.

Would you like to shake off the attitude of dread and woe-is-me? Do just that. Stand up, shake your arms, your hands, even one leg at a time. Say to dread, "You're outta here! I'm shaking you off. Be gone!"

You have more potential than you might imagine. Be willing to tap into your strengths and abilities. Please don't hesitate to ask a teacher, mentor, or friend what positive qualities they see in you. Truly, the sky is the limit when you believe you have unique skills for an essential purpose.

The next time it feels like nothing is going right for you, take a few minutes to look around. Usually, it takes little time to identify someone with even less things going right than you. Let that truth give you a more balanced outlook on life. You get to feel how you feel, regardless of what others are experiencing, but sometimes it helps reframe our circumstances. Things might be better than we think they are.

Sometimes, being brave may be spelled better as BRAEV: Be Ready Always Expecting Victory. Why? Because being brave is refusing to give in to defeat. Refusing to succumb to defeat IS, alone, living victoriously!

Do you know someone whose disposition seems to add warmth and energy to the room? Instead of envying them, look for just one thing about how they treat those around them. How can you do just a little better at that one thing when you are with friends and family? That's not being fake; that's being smart!

Remind yourself that whatever you are feeling right now will not last. Feelings are temporary, no matter how terrible. Think about it this way: If you can imagine a difficult outcome, you can also imagine a much more positive outcome!

Do you sense your feelings almost always dominate your actions? If so, during any given month, are there a few too many actions you regret? Build a stronger support team. Tell yourself often, "I will NOT ignore the facts before I act!"

Learn to visualize the difference between draining and sustaining goals. All goals take work. Make sure the goals that you're pursuing are life-giving.

Do you feel like you are criticized too often? Becoming buried by it and bitter because of it is one option, but not a good one. Here are three ways to handle the put-downs:

• Tell yourself, "Everybody gets 'graded' for something. I will learn to handle this"
• If there is some truth in what's said, take it, learn from it, and go mentally or emotionally back to your world and priorities.
• If you let it, The hurt from undue criticism can make you a better person. How? Allow the pain to "push you" toward better, not bitter.

Everyone feels the nagging tug of discouragement. Shift your focus from what's going wrong to what's going right.