Positivity is powerful. Our minds are powerful. Your thoughts shape the way you see life, the people around you, and your circumstances. There is science to prove how simply changing the way you perceive a situation can alter the brain. There is evidence that feeling positive emotions can ease depression, develop skills, and create useful resources for life.

When I write about being positive, I don’t mean spending your day smiling, or sitting in pure bliss the beauty of life. That is not the way life works.

Life happens. Negative emotions occur. Sad situations arise. It is important to feel each and every one of those emotions. Feeling that sadness creates the person you are and the person you’re becoming.

But, it’s how you use those lessons and how you choose to respond to each curveball thrown your way, that will lead to radical changes and a healthy, positive life.

Positivity is an action, not a state of being.

There are several ways to change your thinking to lead a more meaningful life.

BE GRATEFUL: Every day take a few minutes to mentally create a checklist of all the small things you are grateful for in that day. I don’t mean to be grateful for basic human rights. You don’t have to give thanks for your home (unless you just don’t appreciate it, then maybe you do) or food. Remember to be grateful for the small things. A stranger who opened the store door for you. Maybe you lucked out and found the book you wanted to read at a discount, or you experienced and easy ride to work this morning.

ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS: Life is fast paced and non-stop. Funny enough, life is comprised of small moments, tiny fragments of time, and all the little things. Savor your morning cup of coffee. Don’t rush through dinner, worrying about the laundry that needs to be done. Slow down and actively enjoy life.

REMOVE NEGATIVITY: Since you have to pay bills, and go to work, focus on the removeable things that bring you down. Toxic people. Toxic words. Remove anything that makes you feel bad or has negative emotions attached to it. Fill those spaces with things and people that bring you joy.

BE POSITIVE AND DO POSITIVE THINGS: Read inspiring books, magazine, or even gather a list of positive quotes. Help others. Compliment strangers. Focus on the lesson of a negative situation. Instead of crying, or at least maybe after you cry about a bad circumstance, ask yourself what you needed to learn from the situation. Find the bright side and be someone else’s shining light.

BE OPTIMISTIC: You do not have to be a ray of sunshine or dismiss negative emotions or events. Being optimistic means not just to find a silver lining, it means actively choosing to tell yourself that while a bad thing has occurred, you’re going to either find the lesson or have faith that things will work themselves out.

GO OUTSIDE: Just this. Be in nature. Absorb the sun. Smell the flowers.

With all these tips in mind, remember to slow down and enjoy life. Appreciate your family (even the crazy aunt) and this one life you’ve been given. Being positive in a way that changes your life means to consciously act, with purposeful steps that ultimately lead to a happier and more fulfilled life.

Remember. It’s the simple things.