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Good old Math…my favorite subject. I may not have been good in Art, and if you must know, color mixtures still confuse me. But throw an Algebra problem my way, and I am in heaven! One of the best things about math is all of the rules…everything is very black and white which makes my left brain happy! There is one rule that I was recently reminded of, and it’s one of my favorites. Why? I don’t know…probably because to me, it’s an odd one that gets my brain really thinking. And this time around, when I came across this math lesson again, it had a way of teaching me something important about life too. And while this rule might be an easy one to apply in the classroom, when it comes to life…well…we all forget that it just doesn’t work. It just doesn’t make sense when it comes to living out each day…
This past year my son was required to take Algebra his freshman year of high school. And of course, as some lessons came up, he would lean on me to help him learn them. While I loved Algebra as a student, I am a little too old to remember how to solve all of these problems now because the reality is this: Who uses this stuff every day? (Not me!)
So, as I used my son’s materials to relearn how to solve some of these problems so that I could, in turn, teach him to do it, I realized I kept hearing myself reminding him of one simple Algebra rule. It is a rule I learned early on, and I kept repeating it to him as he worked to come up with the answers to these math problems. I kept hearing myself say: “Don’t forget that when you multiply a negative number by a negative number, it equals a positive number.” (What a strange but fun rule, right?)
And that is when it hit me…this rule may work in math, but in life…not so much. In fact, in life, the opposite of this rule applies. Yet sometimes we surround ourselves with certain types of people and carry with us a certain type of attitude all while expecting this math lesson to work. When realistically, it is never going to happen. Because we all know (yet we easily forget) that when we surround ourselves with somebody else that is negative and when we also are choosing to carry a negative attitude with us, we can’t ever expect a positiveoutcome. It is just not going to happen.
So it makes me wonder: Do you struggle with positivity in your life? Do you find yourself on a daily basis thinking of all of the negative things happening instead of what really surrounds you? Do you constantly find yourself complaining to others about how awful you have it? Do you often wonder why others have a better life than you do?
If so, then how do we go about changing that? How do we make sure that the equation of our life equals a positive number…a positive outcome?
The answer I have to this one is pretty simple…
In order for us to achieve positivity, then unfortunately my favorite math rule won’t help. In fact, we have to use a different math lesson all together, but it’s one that is still true in the world of Algebra today.
So let’s use this math rule: When you multiply a positive number by a positive number, it equals a positive number. Seems simple, right? In theory yes, but in reality, it can be so much harder to solve. So, let’s break this down a step further…
The answer to this equation is going to be twofold:
The first step is to look around and see who is a part of our life. Is it people who build you up? Do they bring happiness and positive solutions to the table? Or are they working against you to see who can bring the most negativity to the conversation? If we want to feel happiness and positivity in our life, the first step is to surround ourselves with those types of people. And if we aren’t, then that is the first thing we need to choose to change.
The second part of this equation is even more important. The last step is to look deep inside of yourself and see what sort of attitude really exists. When life throws an obstacle your way, do you see the glass as half empty or half full? When you get up to start your daily routine, do you think about the great things to come, or do you focus on those dreaded tasks? When you get together with your loved ones, do you find yourself being as bright as the sun, or do you often carry with you that negative energy? Because like I said, this part of the equation is the most important part. We can’t expect a positive life, a happy life, if we aren’t going to work hard every day to project positivity unto this world and into our own life. It’s like the meme says: Being miserable is a habit, being happy is a habit, and the choice between those two will ultimately be up to you.
So as you wake up tomorrow, I want you to practice a lesson in math and see where it leads you. And while my favorite math rule won’t work in everyday life, we can instead use the other Algebra rule we learned today. We just need to remember that when we multiply positivity (those surrounding us) by positivity (how we chooseto feel inside), the answer to that equation is the best one of all. It ends up equaling a happy and fulfilling life.
Xoxo
Marsha
*For those of you struggling with something in life or have a topic of interest that you want me to talk about in this blog, email me at BeYourBestSelfBlog@gmail.com. Let’s work together to Be Our Best Selves!
Photo Credit Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-calculator-on-yellow-background-5412432/