Staying positive can be a challenge at the best of times. You can't pick up a newspaper without seeing some story of tragedy. You can't go to work without hearing about the latest round of bad news from all your co-workers. You can't remember the last time you got a pat on the back, but the last time you got a kick in the pants is imprinted indelibly on your memory.

We're surrounded by negativity. After all, good news doesn't sell newspapers and the best thing on TV is always the most violent. We're bombarded daily with reminders of all the things we "deserve" for apparently no greater effort than it takes to breathe. Everything is presented as a need, a need which will leave us lost and unhappy if we do not get it.

We've lost the ability to be happy with what we have, as society tries to convince us that wants and needs are interchangeable. No wonder we feel like we got the short straw in life.

Just because a product or service is available does not mean that you or your life is somehow worth less for not having it. The unwillingness to get by with less is probably the single biggest cause of unhappiness there is. Note: unwillingness. Far too many people want instant gratification. As a consumer society, we are constantly bombarded with the message that we "need" and "deserve" things that have no bearing whatsoever on our ability to function. Who "needs" a big screen TV? Who "deserves" the latest in cell phones? And the bigger question; why do we add to our own misery by getting all those credit cards to pay for this stuff?

We want this stuff, we want it now, and we aren't willing to think about how we're going to pay for it. No wonder we're miserable. If we were willing to live with less and only buy what we could afford when we had the cash for it, we'd solve most of the problems that lead to a negative outlook.

Being negative is a mindset that comes from too much bad news and the feeling that there is never enough good news. Sometimes it can be hard to remember the basics.

A bad day does not equal a bad life. Everyone has a bad day, it's normal and natural. Being positive does not mean being happy with the crap that is your day today, it's remembering that tomorrow doesn't have to be just as bad.

Not getting what you want does not give you the right to be negative. Learn to be grateful for your ability to provide yourself with the things you NEED and you'll find yourself with a new and much more positive outlook as well as a

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