So the first thing that comes to mind with this is gratitude. Being thankful for what we have, while we pursue all that we want. I think covid and the pandemic really put a spotlight on this. Everything changed, but flipping the perspective and going deeper into gratitude has helped me a bunch not only during this time, but overall in the past decade. Being grateful I have my friends and family in good health. Being grateful I'm alive and well and doing what I love everyday. Being grateful that just maybe these times have put a magnifying glass on areas that needed correction and change. Social injustice, the school system, the work place. For example, so many people and companies can see that working from home is a great option. So maybe from this point on that cuts down commute traffic and car accidents. That can allow families to spend more time together. Gives more freedom in working remotely. So, I could honestly say, even at the young age of 29, that gratitude fuels positivity incredibly well. Just being thankful to live and winning the lotto to be a human being is something to acknowledge. Do you know how many things have to line up and go right for you and I to be born? Just think of that for a moment. Everything literally has to line up to be born. From the time our parents got super excited and steamed up the bedroom to mom popping us out in labor is a miracle. We could've literally been the sperm cell that ended up on the towel or in the toilet water. You get what I'm saying! Really though; the fact that bloodlines and relatives before us had to survive or live long enough so that you and I could be here today is remarkable. My biological dad was murdered in his 20s. I was about 6 years old. It's tragic to say the least, but I think about that often of the life he was living and honestly, through all of that; here I am. My dad didn't make it out the streets, but he had me. Thank God. Gratitude and perspective makes positivity a whole lot more achievable. The next thing that comes to mind is just loving the process of whatever we're doing. Being happy in the work we choose. Not for the money or trophies, but for the actual game, process, and activity of it. I think a lot of people are unhappy or negative in some sort because they don't like what they're doing everyday and don't get fulfillment which can lead to burnout, sadness, and other emotions that takeaway from a positive mindset. I love that I can do personal training, fitness, kickboxing, podcasting, sportscards, and create awesome content to market and storytell around those things. Here's another point on positivity. Being around positive people certainly helps being positive. Being surrounded by people who are into optimism and happiness feels really good. Your spouse, core group of friends, and family are something you really want to be sure are feeding into your positivity, not taking from it. I like the "real life" part of this question because fake positivity and fake happiness is a real thing. Humans buy things they don't like or can't afford to impress people they don't like because we can get wrapped up in other people's opinions way too much. If there's one thing I really honed in on this past 5 years it's that; not caring about other people's judgment. That allows me to play in the things that I truly love and allows me to be myself 24/7. Another aspect of this "real life" is what happens on social media. If there's anyone you know who is incredibly active and aware of what's happening on social media it's me because I live on there. It's where I communicate and market and build community through the hundreds of pieces of content I post each month. The one thing I notice is that you can easily fake positivity on social media. So many people have so many good things to share and document on social media, but they're not because they only will post the things that will give them the most likes or what they feel everyone will leave the most positive comments about. They shy away from authenticity. For me, when I make content and post it's about documenting my journey, showing you my process, and seeing what it's like as I build and do the things that I love and am passionate about. The second part to that is this; I post because I want the person reading it to get three things from it... Entertainment, fun, and education. Not sales, not likes, but those three things. Now I'm providing value instead of just going on social media to "look good". This even connects back to doing what you love. In today's world, if you want to brand yourself and get in front of eye balls, the way to do that is through the internet. So, if you're doing what you love in real life and then tell the world about it through pictures, video, written word, and podcast on the internet; you're constantly in positivity mode and spreading happiness.
Thanks for reading! And Thank you Kris Riley for the question recommendation!