If you start each day with a smile, you will be putting your best face forward. Since that is what people see, you will be a positive force in your own world and in others.

You have the ability to change your thoughts and you have the power to limit the effect others have on you. Depending on your age and experience, you may think that you have to “fight fire with fire.” If someone has said mean things to you or about you, you may feel like you have to “come out swinging,” to defend yourself.

The biggest defense is to smile and not lower yourself to their standards. You may have to physically remove yourself from the situation, to avoid saying something. But your reality is that you are recognizing the damage they are doing, and making a conscious decision to not participate in it. Just make sure that your past behavior is not responsible for their behavior. In other words, if someone else is still angry with you because of something you said or did, and you just want to slide by and forget it ever happened…you have to be a big enough person to apologize and move on.

Learn to forgive and let the past stay in the past. People make mistakes and learn from them. Don’t be the person who thinks they don’t make mistakes too. We all do. Own it. Apologize. You have the power to do it!   “Now, let’s get going!”  xo Sally