By Helena Nyman

As a child, you were most likely told, "You are what you eat." Meaning, a healthy diet and lifestyle makes you a healthier person. But where you ever told, "You are what think"? If you are optimistic, you'll naturally see the best in every situation. Contrarily, if you are pessimistic, you will find it difficult to see anything good come from a tough situation.

FIND THE GOOD

It's difficult to find something good in a bad situation. We've all been there, when it seemed like things couldn't get much worse than they already were. And yet, just when you think you're about to see the light of day again, something else bad happens.

What do you do when you faith and hope are tested by "life"? How can you keep holding on to hope and the faith that something good can come out of something bad?

First, you must find something good. No matter how bad things get, there is always someone who is much worse off than you. Start by looking deliberately for the little things that are positive in your life. Concentrate on those only.

SHAKE IT OFF

When something bad happens, do you tend to take the weight of the world on your shoulders and bottle it up inside? The more you do this, the greater your risk is of health issues and/or bodily and emotional harm.

You have to decide to shake it off and keep moving forward. Because if you don't, if you choose to hold all that negative energy inside yourself, it will build up until you literally explode. Find a way to release the negative thoughts and feelings and make room for the positive ones.

Remember...you are what you think. If you think negative thoughts, you'll attract more negative energy. If you maintain a positive mindset, you'll be more likely to attract positivity.

Helena Nyman, Certified Success/Life Coach and Executive Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author. Helena grew up in Switzerland where she worked with World and Olympic athletes and moved in 1994 to Canada where she worked with top athletes in the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, ON, together with the legendary coach Doug Leigh (former Coach of Elvis Stojko and Brian Orser) and with Louis Stong at the Center of Excellence in Toronto. In 1999, she moved to the USA where she still coaches some figure skaters and hockey players -- a passion and balance she keeps in her life.
To sign up for Helena's weekly Motivational Newsletter, visit: www.HelenaNyman.com , or for her bi-weekly Executive News, visit: www.TheBalancedExecutive.com. To contact Helena by e-mail, write to: Nyman@consultant.com.