Category Archives: Positive Perspective

How Two Choice Words Can Change Your Perspective

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns,
or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln

medium_468886018How we look at things is certainly governed by our past experiences,
but you can choose your attitude toward the outcome.

Learn from mistakes or be consumed by them.

Forgive misgivings or harbor resentments.

Look on the bright-side or seek the worst.

Words are funny little things too.

Words can evoke an emotion or project an attitude.

That’s why words can hurt and emails can be misconstrued.

As I pondered my choices of attitude and words, I felt the name of this blog didn’t really convey my feelings accurately any more.

Why did I feel I was struggling to stay positive?

Because I was pushing against the negative.

We struggle when there’s a fight. When we feel we aren’t being heard.

What happens if we stop struggling?

The resistance is no longer there.

We surrender to what is out of our control.

I can only choose how I look at things, how I react, how I feel.

And I’ve realized one thing for sure –

Positivity is a choice.

So rather than Wrestle and Struggle, I will Embrace and Choose.

Welcome to the next generation of my blog!

Embracing Pollyanna
Choosing To Stay Positive in a World of Negativity.
 

It may seem like a small change. A tweak in language. A waste of time even.
But to me it is a shift in attitude, in perspective, in feeling.

You may wonder why I have chosen, yes chosen, to keep ‘world of negativity’ if I am so geared toward the feeling of positivity. That is because I feel we are so bombarded by negative media and messages.

And although I have no control over that, what I do have control over is what I choose to subject myself to and what I choose to put out into this world.

What can you expect?

I will continue to post about

  • the positivity I see in the world
  • thought-provoking talks
  • heart-warming messages
  • my thoughts as I move throughout my small world and the great beyond

What you will see more of, however, are stories about:

  • our environment
  • those who are working hard for the benefit of others.

I admit that these stories may not always, in fact may not often, portray a positive situation but they will be stories that I feel not enough people are aware of.

They are realities of our world that we must face and do something about sooner than later.

I’m hoping that by learning about them, you will feel empowered to effect change.

Once aware of a problem, we can make educated choices thereby achieving  (hopefully) a positive result.

Awareness = Education.
Education = Informed Choices
Informed Choices = Empowerment
Empowerment = Positive Change

That is my hope.
That is my intention.

I want this to be a place where you can come to feel uplifted, inspired, educated and driven to make a positive difference in the world.

Where you too can Embrace and Choose.

So rejoice, because thorn bushes are chock-full of fragrant roses.

Are you with me?

If you find my blog by URL, both http://www.embracingpollyanna.com and http://www.wrestlingpollyanna.com should – fingers crossed – get you to the same place. 😉
photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smb_flickr/468886018/

 

10 Ways To Regain Your Youthful Spirit

Alberto MateoI remember the smells…the fresh mown grass, the seasonal fruit – watermelon, strawberries and raspberries.

I remember the sounds…the bumble bees flitting from flower to flower, the birds chirping merrily on high, my friends’ laughter as we enjoyed playing games in the yard.

I remember the feelings…the warmth of the sun, the cold of the sprinkler’s drops on my hot skin, the freedom to explore the world on foot or by bicycle.

Summer brings memories of childhood days without schedules and routine.

Longer days meant later bedtimes – more time to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle that summer entices.

It is during the cold winter months that we dream of summer, determined to wait out the season until we again have the chance to re-encounter our youth.

We crave summer’s simplicity in the dead of winter when going outside requires layers of clothing, and footwear to protect from slips and falls, scraping off cars before venturing out on the treacherous roads.

Summer invites us to strip off the layers and walk barefoot whenever possible.

We are thankful for the ease when embarking on the day and we don’t mind pulling on a sweater to curl up outside as we watch the stars blink open their sparkling eyes.

Summer is Mother Nature’s kiss.  It is warm and sweet and special and earned.

Summer is upon us.

When was the last time you…

…ran through a sprinkler

…jumped in a puddle

…swung on a swing

…squished your bare toes in the mud

…rode a bicycle

…caught a frog, had a good look and let it go

…lied on your back in the grass and watched the clouds

…picked buttercups

…skipped down the street

…ate a popsicle?

Embrace your youthful spirit.  The fleeting season is upon us.

Alberto Mateo

 

Photo credits:
PHOTOGRAPHY – Alberto Mateo
The Last Footprint
Mobile: +34 661 530 598
e: info@albertomateo.com w: www.albertomateo.com – www.thelastfootprint.com
1st photo: Boys playing in Vuon Hoa Hang Dau Square, fountain in the foreground, Hanoi, Vietnam.
2nd photo: Woman cycling among wheat fields spotted with poppy flowers, Lolland Island, Denmark.

What Would We Be Without Our Mothers?

In celebration of mothers everywhere,
I am proud to post this gorgeous photograph
courtesy of Spanish photographer, Alberto Mateo.

Happy Mother’s Day,

to my mom and every mom.
Thank you.

Alberto Mateo

Baby at the back of a Hmong woman dressed with traditional clothes, Bac Ha Sunday market, Bac Ha Town, Lao Cai district, mountains of Vietnam

Photo credit:
PHOTOGRAPHY – Alberto Mateo
The Last Footprint
Mobile: +34 661 530 598
e: info@albertomateo.com w: www.albertomateo.com – www.thelastfootprint.com

Quotes That Make You Go Hmmm…

Alberto Mateo

Happiness is a way of travel
not a destination.

– Roy Goodman

Photo: Hot-air balloons flying over rock formations at sunrise, Cappadocia, Anatolia, Turkey
Photo credit:
PHOTOGRAPHY – Alberto Mateo
The Last Footprint
Mobile: +34 661 530 598
e: info@albertomateo.com w: www.albertomateo.com – www.thelastfootprint.com
 

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

The heart that loves is always young.

Greek Proverb

Alberto Mateo

Photo: Parada de Metro Musee du Louvre-Paris-Francia
Photo credit:
PHOTOGRAPHY – Alberto Mateo
The Last Footprint
Mobile: +34 661 530 598
e: info@albertomateo.com
w: www.albertomateo.com – www.thelastfootprint.com