In their book, Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine suggest something simple: “You’ve already got everything you need to be happy.” Imagine the thought! Their book It’s All in Your Head states that you really don’t need a better paying job, a new house, or weight loss; the key to happiness lies within you. I agree.

        When things are bleak, everything seems darker. When we hit a lull, it feels as though life has come to a screaming halt. My telephone was washed by my 3-year-old the other day—sudsy water and all. Two days before that the garbage disposal was indisposed. I couldn’t help but think of the adage “bad things come in threes…” So I began looking for broken things. But everything was running smoothly, as if the universe were defying my inspection.

        That started me wondering. Does it just seem like things break down in sets of three because we LOOK for the other two problems once the first disaster strikes? What if I stayed positive when something went wrong?

       How we think about setbacks not only affects our health and our peace, but it can also impact the outcome of a situation. Just after my special needs child was born, his cardiologist saw I was petrified. She placed her hand on my forearm and squeezed. “I’m always amazed by the development of a human being, the miracle,” she said. “So many intricate parts have to be precisely created in a specific order. So much can go wrong. It astounds me that anything goes right.” She encouraged me. “Focus on the right things with your son. The experts will tell you where he should be by medical standards. You need to also look at all he is able to do in the moment.”

        I have continued to use that approach through my journey, sharing it with others too. When I find myself caught up in negative thinking patterns, I return to the skills my son and his medical team taught me-track the things that are on course, that are going right.

        But how do we focus on the good things? When things aren’t looking great, how do we clean our lenses and view our world with a new pair of eyes? Here are five techniques.

1.     Stop Searching for Happiness. You read that right. Eric Hoffer said it grandly, “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.” Like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, you already have a heart and you just need your brain to agree with your life. This technique simply teaches you to agree that you already have pleasant, enjoyable aspects in your life right now, today.

2.     Fake It ‘Til You Make It. Try to live as if for a few minutes a day. Live as if you have all the energy you need. Live as if all is going well. This mindset—and its practical application—force your body and mind to connect. When your body begins to feel the positive emotional response, it will trigger a physiological response and awareness in your brain.

3.     Attitude of Gratitude. Focus on what is going right. Journal every week on the right things in life, what you appreciate.

4.     Change the Scene. When I’ve dreaded an upcoming event, I’ve often remembered something from my military training—becoming part of the audience. It can help to watch the scene from a distance. This technique gives one the ability to handle a challenging situation with objectivity and courage.

5.     Replace and Replenish. Replace negative thoughts with constructive ones. I tell my children it’s The Opposite Game. It is as if there are two pictures before you, and you are allowed to choose only one. Pick the positive one and throw away the other. This will teach you to see powerful, affirmative images.

        Life offers us challenges, but even in hardship, there are sparks of light. It takes training to condition our minds, the same as it does our bodies. Attitude and thoughts cannot transform overnight.

       The power of thought does shape our lives and it is usually done subconsciously. My desire for you is that you adopt a conscious effort to shift your perspective and allow yourself the joy of being happy and love your life right now…as it is.

Rebecca Evans is a local author, freelance writer and motivational speaker/coach. She and her three sons, have a Newfoundland, two hermit crabs, and a newly adopted guinea pig.