Wonderful creed to live by and that is why I am sharing this.

Promise yourself to be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Christian D. Larson 1912 – The Optimist Creed

Choose to be an optimist; to be happy and spread joy!

Please share this with others.

Affirmations and belief in ourselves creates happiness within. I want to share a post called The Power of Positive Thinking written by Lorelei, a friend of mine who has a wonderful blog for parents.

Within the post she shares a You Tube video called Jessica’s Daily Affirmation, which is so adorable, you don’t want to miss it.

Here is the direct link to the article and video:   http://raisingcreativechildren.com/day-smile/

Share this video with others and pass along the joy!

I want to share the 90/10 principle with you because discovering the 90/10 principle will change how you react to situations and it will positively change your life. The example provided is perfect for parenting.

This principle is written by Stephen Covey.

What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light. However, you can control your reaction; you can control how you react.

Let us use an example: You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone. After a 15-minute delay and throwing away $60 on a traffic fine, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terribly. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home. When you arrive home, you find a small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.
Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A. Did the coffee cause it?
B. Did your daughter cause it?
C. Did the policeman cause it?
D. Did you cause it?

The answer is “D”.

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “Its ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time.” Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early to work and cheerfully greet the staff.

Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended differently.

Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% is determined by your reaction.

90/10 Principle by Steven Covey

Understanding and applying the 90/10 principle WILL change your life!

If you like this article, please share it with someone you love.

What if your child could write a positive poem about him/herself easily?  Using the format below, they can! 

My sixth grade daughter shared a poem with me that she had written.  I couldn’t believe how great the poem was!  I asked what gave her the inspiration to write the poem and she told me it was a project in school and there was an outline she followed.  She shared the outline with me and I have posted it below, along with two completed poem examples.

After your child is done, the poem is like a big, positive affirmation that they (or you) can hang somewhere visible. 

           I Am Myself    (Name of poem)  

*I am (use 2 or 3 adjectives)

I wonder__imaginary____________

I hear ________________________

I see__________________________

I want_________________________

*I am (same as first line)

I pretend______________________

I feel__________________________

I worry________________________

I cry__________________________

*I am(same as first line)

I understand____________________

I say___________________________

I dream________________________

I hope_________________________

*I am (same as first line)

             I AM MYSELF   (an example from a younger child)

I am smart, funny, and kind

I wonder what I will look like when I grow up

I hear music in my head

I see friends playing on the playground

I want to be a great person

I am smart, funny and kind

I pretend to know what is going on

I feel loved when somebody says thank you

I worry before tests at school

I cry when I get hurt

I am smart, funny, and kind

I understand when people are sad

I say to always be happy

I dream I will become a writer

I hope my family will live for a long time

I am smart, funny, and kind

               I am Myself  (Example from an 11 year old)

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I wonder what everybody thinks at this moment

I hear music in my head

I see everyone having fun in their own way

I want to save up for college so I can become a veterinarian

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I pretend I am in a basket full of flowers

I feel loved when I am surrounded by my friends

I worry there will be no peace between continents

I cry when I hear that an animal died

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I understand when my friends feel blue

I say that your attitude makes a big difference on your life

I dream someday I will be a veterinarian

I hope my family will live for a long time

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I hope you enjoy sharing this activity with your children.  I felt so much joy when I read the poem my daughter created using this format.  Please feel free to share the poems you create with us!

I find it is fun and educational to use new words when my children and I are talking. I know I am doing a good job when they ask “Mom, what does ‘word’ mean?” Using words that are infrequently used is an excellent way to improve a child’s vocabulary.

Here is a list of infrequently used words you can draw on when you are giving positive reinforcement for a job well done. Using these words and other less common words is great for vocabulary building and it seems to make your statement more meaningful.

1. Amazing
2. Astonishing
3. Brilliant
4. Excellent
5. Extraordinary
6. Fabulous
7. Fantastic
8. Incredible
9. Marvelous
10. Mind-blowing (they will like this one)
11. Out of this world (and this one)
12. Outstanding
13. Remarkable
14. Spectacular
15. Super
16. Superb
17. Terrific
18. Tremendous
19. Unbelievable
20. Wonderful

Thanks for reading and I hope your day is out of this world!

I just posted 25 more positive words and they are great for school time 25 Positive Words For The School Year