So often we find ourselves in these places where little by little the decisions were made, the things were done, the words were said, and we look at ourselves and think, “How did I get here?” Because of the way we look at ourselves, shame ourselves, and see bad more readily than good, this is usually a negative process. The “how did I get here?” is reflecting on a bad place, not good. But, do you ever do the opposite? Do you feel good about yourself or your life?

I get it. I do. There are certainly times that we need to reconcile the fact that our weight has crept up and we’re uncomfortable or our kids are disrespectful and unkind or the house is in utter disarray. We need to figure out what led to the problem and make little changes to get us back to where we were.

But, like opening the window to a beautiful sunrise or climbing to the top of a mountain, sometimes we need to look around with wonder, with joy, and think, “How did I get here?”

Whether it’s pride in a milestone achievement, joy at the sight of your beautiful family, a sense of blessing from great relationships or friendships, and more, let’s look at it this way: “how did I get here?”

How can we see life from a more positive point of view? Here are a few suggestions.

Delight in the small things. Did you wake up this morning? In a bed? In a home? How fortunate you are. Did you see the sun shining? Sip warm coffee? (Or iced coffee, whatever.) Relish those little things. They will make you look at the big things in a different light.

Be thankful. Spend some time each morning or evening counting your blessings. Maybe you even want to write them down and create a gratitude journal of sorts.

Surround yourself with people that bring you up, not tear you down. Positive people make a huge difference in your life. Make sure you spend time with positive people, and make sure that you are a positive person in someone’s life.

Begin your day on a positive note. Whether it’s a positive affirmation (today’s going to be a great day!) or an upbeat song, start your day off right. This gets you in the mood to conquer the day with a smile.

Speaking of smile. . . Do just that. Smile. Laugh. Be open to humor in your life. Watch a funny show. Follow a couple of funny people on Instagram. Move. Walk. Enjoy the outdoors. These things make us instantly feel good.

Listen, if you’ve been caught in the rut of negativity, it might take a bit to get out. I have a few negative people in my life. And, I have a few formerly negative people in my life. But now, well now they are different. Seeing the glass half full makes their body feel better, puts them in a better place mentally, helps them sleep more, and gives them joy. They’ll probably even live longer now that they view life a little differently.

Sometimes becoming more positive feels like turning an ocean liner around. . . slow but sure. But, think of the new view, the new perspective. You might even look around and say, “How did I get here?”