"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams."
-Ashley Smith
It is important to enjoy the little things in life. As you go throughout your day, take notice of life's small beauties. Take a moment to breathe the fresh air, to listen to the children laughing, or to observe Earth's beautiful landscape. Notice the blueness of the sky, the colors of the city, the peacefulness of the breeze, and the kindness of the people. All of this is a calm refreshment that helps you appreciate and enjoy existence.

"A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind."
-Morihei Ueshiba
Despite its utter importance, posture is something that is commonly neglected. It is imperative to have good body stance, not only for physical reasons, but for mental purposes as well. Standing up tall creates constructive vibes that encourage awareness and increase clearer thinking. Don't only walk tall, but sit up straight. Do not slouch. Learn to recognize your posture and you will notice a positive difference.

"Certain defects are necessary for the existence of individuality."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It is important to be happy with who you are, despite your personal flaws. Most people have a mental image of themselves, a "perfect" representation of who they want to be in the eyes of society. Rather than constantly trying to live up to this depiction, simply live. Be content with being you, the real you, the flawed you. You're going to make mistakes, you're going to have defects, both mentally and physically. But don't be embarrassed, do not let what others think control you. Let loose and be individual. Be proud to represent yourself.

"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Keep a smile on as often as can be. This is an extremely easy key to a more positive lifestyle. When you're walking around school, when you're strolling through the grocery store, when you're driving in your car, attempt to always keep a grin on your face. Negative thoughts are simple to avoid and overcome while smiling. It is easier to make wise decisions and think clearly without the fog of anger and frustration. Your general attitude will improve, and the positive vibrations you produce will be noticed and infectious.

"A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion."
-Chinese Proverb
We all have personal idols, individuals that we may even consider heroes. Sometimes, we may tend to listen too closely to their words. The respect we have developed for some people may blind our own opinions and make us believe whatever they say. I say this: Don't always adopt somebody else's opinion. Know that it is important to get out and experience things for yourself. Experiment and create your own knowledge; have your own opinions. But do not shut out others' feelings, for they can be useful guidelines while creating your own path.

"Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right; decide on what you think is right and stick to it."
-T.S. Eliot
We have all heard it before: Everybody is different. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, we will all have different points that we each need to learn when dealing with our individual imperfections. There are many different roads to improvement, so find which pieces of advice and routines aid you and stick with them. Disregard the irrelevant. Have confidence in your actions and beliefs, but remember to remain open minded towards others' personal paths. In short: Do what works for you.

"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power."
-Shirley MacLaine
As odd as it may sound, we must be thankful for negativity. For without it, positivity could not be perceived. Know that one must sometimes tread in the foul waters of negativity. This is simply being aware of the wicked and must be done. But once the evil has been recognized, do not ponder upon it. Acknowledge it and move on. This is the difference between a negative and a positive being. Positive individuals may become aware of just as much negativity as a pessimistic person, but how they handle the negativity is what makes them optimistic.

"So, I learn from my mistakes. It's a very painful way to learn, but without pain, the old saying is, there's no gain. I found that to be true in my life. You miss a lot of opportunities by making mistakes, but that's part of it: knowing that you're not shut out forever, and that there's a goal you still can reach."
-Johnny Cash
If you are never wrong, you will never learn. It is normal to make mistakes, choose wrong decisions, and occasionally fail. After a difficult situation, evaluate what your actions were and the overall result from them. Remember the outcome and learn from it. This is progress in life.

"Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished."
-Buddha
To be at a peaceful mindset, one must first be at a peaceful physicality. Realize that your life is a sacred gift that is lived through your mortal figure. Thus, the body is a temple. Stay healthy in all physical manners. Aptly keep your body active. Carefully watch what you eat and drink. You will, therefore, have access to a more open and sagacious mind. In short: A healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else."
-John Burroughs
Many people get some sort of satisfaction from directing the blame for a problem onto someone else. Realize that how a problem emerges is not important - take personal responsibility for the issue and focus on the why. Doing so may help avoid the problem in the future. Pointing fingers will not resolve anything. On the contrary, it will only create more negativity that increases the difficulty in solving the issue. Do not waste time directing blame; instead, use that time to address the problem itself. Succeeding in this will result in quicker, more positive resolutions and better quality lessons learned.