I have been a champion of positive thinking for just about as long as I can remember. Now I’m not saying that I have it down, but I do firmly believe in the evidence that positivity is good for the soul, and does in fact create a chain reaction of wellness.

Emotions, like gratitude and appreciation, open your heart and lift the energy in your body to a new place, out of the lower hormonal centers. When we are in this state we are entering the future with a predetermined outcome of goodness. Sounds great right? While we cannot control the ways of the world, we can surely control our reactions to them. If we enter our day with an arsenal of gratitude, we will be met with much of the same, making life a lot sunnier.

I, like most, have a hard time living consistently in the “happy,” so I must invest in my practices to keep my heart open and the negative behind me. Here is my list of daily musts:

• Pray every morning the moment that I wake, deeply basking in the gratitude of my life on all levels, the lessons, the ease, the lot of it.

• Keep a journal beside my bed and I write everything I am thankful for first thing every morning. This helps to keep a positive mind set especially when I may be in a funk.

• I speak out loud to myself what I love about my life and myself. I am very intentional in making every word positive.

• I read inspirational quotes and books to keep my heart open and wise.

• I spend time alone daily, and choose to limit engaging with anyone whose energy sparks negativity in me, because that stuff is catchy.

The practice of investing in our own joy is crucial, because it multiples and pays forward. Whatever practice that we can invest in to keep our energy positive and hearts open, will surely help the collective whole, and the collective whole could use all of the love we can muster. I see it as a universal win, win.