Sometimes I have a horrible attitude toward life.

Admitting it is the first step.

Being self-absorbed, stressed or around negative people can change your entire day, month or even your year.

I didn’t, and may still not have fully realized how much power your words, actions and body language can affect your own mood, others around you, and how people then choose to treat you because of them.

Everyone has the ability to self-police themselves on their actions, their words, their thoughts and their surroundings; you just have to choose to do so.

If you as a person are unhappy about something, only you can do what you need to do to change that.

Being negative can affect not only your present life, but also your life in the future and as a graduating college student, the future is what needs to be focused on.

There are plenty of people on this campus that I hear complain about “first world problems,” when they have no idea what the person next to them is going through in their own life.

Here are things you can do instead of being a negative person:

Give someone you love a hug

I personally always feel better after a good hug from a loved one.

Say hello to a stranger on the sidewalk

Like I said earlier, you never know what someone else is going through on any given day.

When you smile and say hello to someone, you may be the only person who was nice to them that day.

Make a list of three things that happen to you everyday that made you a happy person

Sometimes you just have bad days and there is no way around it, but you can chose to try to stay as positive as possible throughout everyday no matter what is happening.

One day last week I spilled liquid into my Mac Book Pro, and of course because it’s an Apple product, it is not covered because it was an accidental liquid damage.

I could have let that ruin my entire day, especially since I have no more college money to buy a new one, but I chose to smile that day anyway.

Have a dance party with your friends

Anytime you are getting too stressed out in your life, and need a moment to breath or relax, it is always nice to turn your music all the way up, grab a few friends and let lose!

Exercise

Exercising not only makes you a healthier and more fit person, but it can also allow you time throughout the day to think and fuel up for your day.

Olivia Diggs is a senior family and consumer sciences major.
She can be reached 581-2812 or [email protected].