Choose To Be Positive and Start a Ripple Effect
Choosing to see the good can make things easier to handle.
NOTE: Please see the announcement below about upcoming changes to the Positivity Club.
Hi there!
The thunder grumbled most of the night. Not enough to scare me, but loud enough to keep me awake while hypervigilant. My mom is afraid of storms now that my dad is gone, so every crack of thunder jolts me awake. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if I should go check on her, while listening for any echo of footsteps.
Morning came, but the darkness outside refused to budge. As I listened to large raindrops plunking against the window near my bed, I wondered, “Do I really have the strength to do this today?”
Work is not optional this time of year. It doesn’t matter that I was up all night. My clients had appointments and expected me to be at my desk.
Bird song chirped from my light alarm clock. I pulled the covers over my head and tried to will myself back to sleep. I failed.
The louder the birds sang from my alarm clock, I knew I was running out of time to get ready to leave. He wouldn’t complain, but I know my boss hates when I’m late, so I dragged myself from the warm comfort of my microplush sheets (ad) and flipped on the harsh overhead light.
My muscles hurt, my eyes were dry and gritty, and shuffling my feet toward the bathroom, my right baby toe collided with a wheel on the vacuum cleaner I forgot to put away the night before.
“Lovely,” I screamed to the universe while hopping the last steps to the bathroom. My frown greeted me in the bathroom mirror, a foreshadow of the day ahead.
“Today is going to suck,” I told my reflection.
“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.”
- David Thoreau
Make a choice
Every day, we have a choice about how we will face the day. We can resolve to look for only the good or start like I did, full of anger and negativity, already prophesying that the day would be terrible.
Is it really as easy as choosing? Sometimes.
Consider the rain that was falling outside my window. I had the choice of remembering how those droplets nourish the grass and flowers I see on my way to work. I had the choice of being thankful for a job close to home and a boss who doesn’t complain about my tardiness, but truth be told, I made the wrong choices.
Instead, I considered how the rain would frizz my hair and how the weather would require me to wear the raincoat with the weird texture I hate. I viewed my job like a prison sentence, and agonized over every minute as I rushed to get ready.
Don’t be like me.
Choose to see the beauty and value in the storm. Be grateful for your job, even if it's not your dream job. For now, it pays the bills. So choose to see the good in it. Decide to smile regardless of how awful you feel.
When you make the choice to be positive, it's like throwing a stone into a pond. The ripples of positivity spread out from you and touch everyone around you.
Your smile may lighten your boss’ mood, giving everyone in the office a better day. Your co-workers may pick up on your positive attitude and then decide to help you with your workload. The choice to be positive strengthens your family and friends as they see how you keep fighting despite your struggles.
Positivity breeds positivity.
Know it’s hard sometimes
It would be wonderful if the difference between a good day and a bad day were as simple as making a choice. No, it’s never that easy, and especially not if you’re fighting a mental illness.
So why not just give up and stay in bed? Why bother trying?
As my dad used to say, “People die in bed.”
You’re still here, still alive, so make something of the time you have.
Looking for the good in the world won’t cure you, but changing your focus will improve your day. When you choose to see the value of the hard things, the tough times are easier to fight.
Of course, sometimes it’s impossible to get out of bed. It feels like a mountain fell on you during the night, so getting up would take more strength than even Superman has. It’s okay to stay warm and cozy on the terrible days, but don’t stay there forever.
Just like some days are hard, many days are better. You can conquer the easier days if you’re willing to fight, but you can’t succeed with your head on your water pillow. Get up, look for the good, and get on with your day.
Create a Ripple
Your choice to see the good in your world has a ripple effect. Each tiny wave flowing away from you inspires others to see more good in their life. Your choice helps to make the world a better place, which makes it worth it to get out of bed.
More than that, the days you press on even when you feel rough show you what you can do. The more of those days you turn into something positive, the easier it gets to handle even the toughest days.
My day started rough, but when I finally got in the car, I pulled up one of my favorite Natalie Merchant songs and sang each verse as loud as I could on the five-minute drive to my office.
By the time I parked my car in my spot, I felt better. My body still ached, and I was still exhausted, but I knew I could smile and press on. So that’s what I did.
I walked through my office’s front door, shouted hello to everyone within earshot, and got to work. My smile was a small stone, but it started a ripple in my office pool. My day only got better from there.
If you're feeling down today, remember that you have the power to choose to see the good. Choose to be positive and watch the ripples of positivity spread out from you. Some days are tougher than others, but there’s always value in making the choice.
What will you choose today? Will you choose to find the good?
The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
Journal Prompt: Write about a time when your choice to see the good helped those around you. What did the experience teach you?
Creative Writing Prompt: You are in a small boat, swaying up and down over tall waves in the sea. What caused the ripples? What happens next?
Until next time, keep fighting.
Scott Ninneman
Announcement
Changes to the Positivity Club
The last few weeks, I’ve been experimenting on Substack and loving the results. Here are a few changes coming to the Positivity Club.
Schedule
Starting March 3, 2025, the free post moves to Monday. The Monday newsletter will introduce a self-improvement theme, such as gratitude, journaling, or choosing better friends.
Tuesday through Friday will have shorter newsletters, each building on the week’s theme, and giving you a fresh journal prompt each day.
Starting March 17, 2025, the Tuesday through Friday issues will only go to paid subscribers.
Price
For now, you can sign up as a paid member of the Positivity Club for $5 per month or $40 per year. Sign up now, and as long as you stay a paying subscriber, that price will never change.
Beginning May 5, 2025, the price for new subscribers goes to $15 per month or $100 per year.
Why the change? The simple answer is that I can’t keep doing all I have been doing. It costs about $2,000 a year to run the Speaking Bipolar site, pay for software, and keep the lights on. For seven years, nearly all of that expense has come out of my pocket.
While I would love to keep everything free, that would be a poor business model. I’m also getting older, which means at some point, either my writing or my day job will have to go. I prefer to eliminate the latter, but that means my writing has to replace my income.
Before you panic, the All Things Bipolar Newsletter (currently off Substack) has always been and will stay free for everyone. The Monday post in the Positivity Club will also continue to be free for everyone.
I’m changing the Positivity Club because I keep getting requests for more content. The only way to write more stories is to spend more time at home. You see my problem.
I know some cannot go paid, so I may give out extended trials on a case-by-case need. Those who can support the Speaking Bipolar mission have my heartfelt gratitude. You are ensuring the future of the Speaking Bipolar site and all it does to help others.
Community
My first goal with the Positivity Club was to create a community for us to share our journeys together. The first platform I tried was too complex, so I moved to Substack. I knew it was a great model, but there were some issues early on.
Substack is more versatile and stronger now, so I’m focusing my free time there. If you want to “talk” to me, follow me in the Notes (Home) section. I try to respond to every message.
Notes is also where I post daily good morning messages and give brief updates on my life. Here’s an example:
If you’re new to Substack Notes, it’s a lot like Twitter used to be before it went to pieces. Notes is free for everyone.
In May, I will open up the community even further with a private chat for Positivity Club members. The private group will be the place to share your struggles, triumphs, and to cheer each other on. I’m excited to see how it develops.
Living with bipolar disorder is a constant challenge, so if you’re struggling, please know you’re not alone. I am struggling, and I know I will be for at least the coming weeks.
If nothing else, please know that you’re not alone. I and the other Speaking Bipolar readers understand what you’re going through. We’re all fighting the same war, and together, we’ll all make it through.
Until next time, keep fighting.
Additional Reading
The book that started it all…
Disclaimer:
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I love this, Scott!
It’s so easy to get caught up in life’s frustrations, I’m going through that at the moment and constantly have to bring myself back to the choices I can make (like seeing things through a more positive lens).
I really appreciate you highlighting that for some people, this isn’t always a realistic decision, but that the way out is in finding value in challenges. Stunningly put!
And I love, love that you mentioned music as a way to shift perspective. Coincidentally, I’m working on a piece about the effects of music on us (I'll post it next Thursday). Do you mind if I tag you in my article? Feel free to say no! :)