TESS CARCALDI

I am a Negative Nancy more often than I’d like to be. It is WAY easier to sit down at the end of a long day and think of all the things wrong with my life or lacking from my life than it is to sit down and think about all of the little things and big things that have a positive impact on my day, and ultimately my life.

And I think a lot of people would feel the same way.

I think the worst part about being a Negative Nancy is that you don’t always realize you’re in Negative-Nancy-mode. But other people notice.

Last night, my boyfriend called me out for being a Negative Nancy, and at first, I was mad. Nobody likes being called a Negative Nancy. But I realized he was right. And I especially loved what he said to me.

Paraphrased, he told me that I often get stuck in the mindset that I haven’t accomplished anything special and that I tend to focus on everything I don’t have yet instead of enjoying what I do have and enjoying the journey to get to where I want to be.

“But you have accomplished so much,” he said. And we talked about what I have done and what I have and it put me in a different mindset.

So, something I want to work on is being a Positive Penelope (can we coin that phrase?) instead. No, my life is not perfect and there are days when I am frustrated with the progress I am making either in my personal development, in my career, financially, or in my relationships with others.

But there are so many amazing things about my life that I love and appreciate. And all of those things deserve to be appreciated and will ultimately make me a more grateful, happy, and positive person.

If you see yourself falling into the Negative Nancy mindset more often than the Positive Penelope mindset, I urge you to look at all of the small things you look forward to in a day or that make you smile in a day. Make a list. And then repeat every day in the hopes of becoming more grateful for what you have and more motivated to achieve what you want.

I’m going to write my very first list here. Feel free to read. 🙂

Today, I am grateful for:

1. The delicious, hot cup of coffee I had when I woke up.
2. The breakfast my dad made for me to follow the coffee (with my eggs made just the way I like them).
3. The fact that I am feeling so much better after being sick for the last week.
4. A room that is now dust- and germ-free and that smells like coconuts.
5. Clean bed sheets fresh from the dryer.
6. The smell of homemade beef stew wafting from the kitchen as I sit here at my dining room table writing.
7. My mom who does literally anything and everything for me, even when I don’t ask.
8. My dad who cooks for me and makes me laugh, especially when I need it most.
9. My boyfriend who gives me a reality check and all of the support in the world, even from a different country.
10. My ability to dance and move my body to music because it makes me so dang happy.
11. My friends who have been there for me throughout the years and who have grown up with me and still love me.
12. My friends who grew with me into adulthood and stuck by me in an extremely difficult transition period.
13. New friends who amaze me with how welcoming and sunshiney they are, and who push me out of my comfort zone.
14. Peppermint tea.
15. Fresh air and sunshine in the middle of cold, rainy February.