Positivity...

Positive Polly, Negative Nelly, Hopeful Holly, and Debbie Downer.  You know these gals, right?  (I actually wrote a children's book that I have yet to attempt publishing called Negative Nelly that was loosely based on my sweet Hannah...ha-ha-ha.)  They're flip sides of the same coins.   And we all have days where we're more Debbie than Holly or more Nelly than Polly...and visa-versa.  I like to consider myself a pretty positive person, and according to the Gallup Strengths survey positivity is one of my top-5 strengths.  I try to see the cup as half-full...to look through rose-colored glasses...to look on the bright side...and to find the silver lining in situations.  Though sometimes I slip, I just say a little prayer, and get back to more hope-filled thoughts.

 As I've been preparing for the upcoming school year, I've thought about an article we read at a staff meeting last year about marigolds and walnut trees.  (You can read it in its entirety here.  It's about teachers, but I think it fully applicable to everyone regardless of occupation or lack thereof.)  In short:

• Experienced gardeners know the benefits of planting marigolds. They are a companion plant. They protect other plants from weeds and pests, and encourage growth.  Human marigolds also encourage, support, and nurture growth in others. Their positive energy is contagious. They have a growth mindset.  We need to seek them out. We need to be the marigold for others.
  
• Walnut trees produce a toxic chemical that kills off other growth around them. They’re lovely on the outside, but at the root is the poison.  Human walnut trees look at others in a negative way. Being around them can make you feel insecure and discouraged. They breed negativity.  
  

I've been thinking about where I was a year ago.  And thinking about those near and dear to me who are currently facing struggles.  I know how easy it can be to let life's challenges get the best of you and let the negativity take over, but it's at these times when we truly NEED the Polly side of ourselves to come out.  

Think like Dumbledore:  

And if that's too nerdy for you, try this one:

And if you're looking for something based in scripture, here you go:

 And if none of those ideas work, then find those marigolds around you that can cover you in positive thoughts until you can find some of your own:

I have been so fortunate in life to be surrounded by incredible people:  family, friends, co-workers, and more.  These people have been my marigolds when I've been a walnut tree.  They have been my Polly's and Holly's when I've been a Nelly and a Debbie.  They have stuck by me and flooded me with positivity when things were not going so positively for me.  So I owe a HUGE thank you to all of them.  

So even when life gets tough:

Don't be a Debbie Downer:

Think positively and have as much gumption and stick-to-it-iveness as the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: