Staying positive doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. It simply means believing that even in the struggle, something good is forming. When a photographer can’t change the scene, they adjust their angle to capture the best of it. In the same way, when we can’t control the circumstances – which is more often than not – we can control the lens we use to view them. A new angle, a change of perspective, can reveal hidden blessings, unexpected opportunities, and strength we never knew was there.
Be a filter, not a sponge. Don’t absorb every negative emotion or fear that comes your way, but don’t ignore it or suppress it either. Filter it, learn from it, and let the rest of it pass through. Our mind is a magnet, and when we consciously look for the good, we train our brain to find it more easily. Over time, reframing becomes a habit, and hope and positivity become our default.
Our brain is a powerful machine that follows the patterns we feed it. Keep supplying it with the same doubts or fears, and the world will look dim. But feed it with growth, gratitude, and new perspectives, and even familiar challenges begin to look different. Change the input and you change the outcome. New ways of thinking inspire new actions, and those actions create a new reality.
Sometimes the light we need isn’t a dramatic breakthrough; it’s a shift in mindset, a change in perspective, or a moment of clarity. Life will always present obstacles, but with a growth mindset, we can choose to see setbacks as stepping stones, failures as feedback, and obstacles as opportunities. We may not understand everything now, but the willingness to look for the good is what will lead us to it.
Guard your thoughts, train your focus, and build from within – because when your perspective shifts, your entire life begins to shift with it.
Inspired by the teachings of the Tzemach Tzedek, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (1789-1866)
