In the current economic climate it’s often difficult to stay positive when every where you look stores are closing, people are losing their jobs right and left, and the once stable real estate market has taken massive hits. Many people aren’t able to make their house payments due to job losses. Even some of the ones who can afford to pay are upside down in their homes in that they actually owe more than their homes are worth. Mortgage companies are foreclosing on homes that they certainly don’t want. Stock market volatility has caused many to lose a huge portion of their portfolios forcing some to postpone retirement. It’s hard to find the positive in such trying economic times.

The other day my husband and I saw a movie that had a profound effect on me. The movie was "Slumdog Millionaire". If you haven’t seen the film I highly recommend it. It’s a story about Jamal, an 18 year old kid who wins the largest jackpot in the history of India’s version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire". During a break between filming, he is tortured by the local police who are convinced that he has somehow cheated on the game show. When questioned, the boy finally relents and begins to tell the story explaining how he knew each particular answer and in doing so we get a glimpe into that segment of his life. By the end of the interrogation, Jamal has given us a complete picture of his life.

The story was full of despair, hope, courage, and ultimately triumph as the young boy is finally able to achieve his meteoric rise out of poverty like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. The thing that really shocked me about this film was the harsh living conditions to which Jamal was subjected. While I’m certainly aware that there are many poverty stricken regions of the world, I had no idea that such filth and squalor were a common component of the lives of millions of people.

When we walked out of the theatre I must say I felt like the richest woman in the world. Just having the luxury of being able to go to a movie theatre is pretty amazing. If you have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and a warm bed you are probably richer than half of the world. If you have a car and electricity, then by the standards of many, you are quite wealthy. If you have someone who loves you, then you’ve really hit the jackpot!

I like to think that I’m an appreciative person but seeing "Slumdog" definitely opened my eyes. It reminded me of the resiliency of the human spirit. It reminded me that no matter what your situation or station in life, there are always things to celebrate. It reminded me of the importance of following your dreams. And most of all, it reminded me of just how important it is to realize and appreciate all that is good in my life.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I thought I would take this time to reflect on all the things I have to be thankful for.

Many people focus on the negative and they practice having a victim mentality. Nothing is ever their fault and they are experts at making excuses. These people are usually not happy, nor are they particularly fun to be around. They like to complain about everything that’s wrong and how bad they’ve got it.

I’ve heard it said that if everyone were to put their worst problems in a big pile that most of us would creep forward and gladly take our problems back. Once we see the obstacles faced by some, most of our problems are miniscule by comparison.

One of the best ways I know to be happy is to spend a little time each day giving thanks for all the good things in your life. When you practice having an "attitude of gratitude", your focus shifts to the positive. Since we get more of what we focus on, it only makes sense to look at all the gifts you already possess.

Here are just a few of the things I’m thankful for:

• Water – It quenches my thirst, soothes my body, and keeps my clothes clean.
• Electricity – It allows me to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Lighting – It makes maneuvering in the dark a whole lot easier.
• Modern Transportation – It allows me to explore the world.  Just imagine how difficult it would be to visit someone across country in a stagecoach!
• Food – To me it’s not only a necessity, it’s a great source of pleasure. Most people eat to live. I must admit I am sometimes guilty of "living to eat" especially around the holidays.
• Books – They allow me to learn and expand my knowledge.
• Television – Programming that’s entertaining, informative, and educational.
• Telephones – They allow me to speak with loved ones who don’t live nearby.
• Computers – They keep me organized and in touch with the world.

While these things may seem like basic necessities to some, they are luxuries to a large portion of the world and I feel so lucky to live in a time and place where these things are abundant.

Some other things I’m thankful for are:

• Great Music and the ability to hear it
• Blue skies and the ability to see them
• Sunny days
• Beaches
• Palm Trees
• Iced Mochas
• Creativity
• Family
• Friends
• Flowers and the ability to smell them
• My Kitty Cat
• Laughter
• Butterflies
• Good Health
• Modern Medicine
• Free Will
• Dark Chocolate
• Good Restaurants
• Rainbows
• Sunsets
• Green Grass
• Ice Cream
• Amaretto di Saronno
• Art
• Photographs
• Memories
• My husband, who’s love, patience, and kindness continue to overwhelm me. Someday I hope to become as wonderful as he thinks I am.

These are just a few of the many things I’m thankful for. Now take a moment to think of all the things you’re thankful for. Counting your blessings is a great attitude adjuster; it lifts your spirits and puts you in a joyful mood.

Make sure to tell the people who have helped you how much you appreciate them. And the next time you run into one of those victim types, be sure to smile and give them an encouraging word. Sharing your joy is an excellent way to give something back and to perpetuate the attitude of gratitude.

For those of you who haven’t seen the movie Pay it Forward, here’s a short clip.  It’s a great example of putting forth positivity into the world.

The type of attitude you possess depends entirely on you.  It can be either positive or negative.  The great thing is – you get to choose.  No one can make you feel a particular way because you must remember that you are in control of how you choose to feel.  When someone does or says something that you feel was meant to hurt you, that may or may not have been their intent.  Oftentimes, hurt feelings are simply a matter of misunderstanding.  Even if the person’s intent was malicious, you can simply choose not to let this affect you.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent ."

One of my favorite movies is The Point of No Return starring Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, and Anne Bancroft.  The movie is a remake of La Femme Nikita and Bridget Fonda’s character, Maggie, is a lawbreaking criminal who chose to become a paid assassin in lieu of death by lethal injection.  She is very rough around the edges and as part of her training she receives etiquette lessons.  Her transformation is nothing short of remarkable.  In one scene, her coach for this endeavor, played by Anne Bancroft, gives her a tip on how to control her temper. She tells her that when something bad happens or a situation goes awry to simply smile and say something like, "I never did mind about the little things ".  This is one of my favorite movie quotes and I use it quite often.  It helps me to put things into perspective.

In the past, I used to let little things drive me crazy, and I must admit that sometimes I still do.  The difference is, now when I feel that happening, I try to make a conscious effort to choose a positive attitude.

There is much to be gained from having a positive attitude. Studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Projecting positivity helps with handling stress and we all know that our health is directly linked to how we cope with stress.

A positive attitude is a foundation you can build upon.  It would be quite difficult to be confident, outgoing, and enthusiastic without first having a positive attitude.  A positive attitude supports positive attributes; a negative attitude does not.  It’s pretty obvious why positive people have more friends than negative people.   If you first choose a positive attitude, other positives will follow.

In today’s fast paced, high tech society, we are bombarded with information.  Many of us are experiencing information overload. Between e-mails, snail mail, text mail, billboards, newspapers, and magazines, advertisers are all competing for our attention.  Then there’s the news, which is almost always negative.  Thousands of positive things occur every single day, but the media focuses on sharing mostly bad stuff.

So how do you stay positive amidst so much negativity?

1.  For starters, you can limit your news intake and consider your news sources very carefully.

2.  Do things that make you happy.  Watch funny movies, listen to your favorite music, spend time with people whose company you enjoy, or pursue a hobby.

3.  One of the easiest and best things you can do to keep a positive attitude is to think about everything in your life for which you are grateful.  Have an attitude of gratitude.

If you have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, and are wearing clothing, then you should be grateful.  If you are able to read this message then you have the gift of sight and you should be grateful.  If someone is reading this to you, then you have the gift of hearing and again, you should be grateful.  If you are reading this on a computer that you own, then by most of the world’s standards, you are quite wealthy and you should be grateful.

We take so many things for granted and in doing so we allow negativity to creep in to our lives.  If you start paying attention to the gifts you already have and begin each day by giving thanks, it’s easy to have a positive attitude.