Hows your life going right now? If you had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, would it be an 8 or better? If someone could take a snapshot of your life at any given moment, what would it look like? Are you laughing, smiling and happy, or frowning, sad and worried? It seems as though negativity and dissatisfaction is quite commonplace and a happy, positive, upbeat mood and lifestyle is rare. Granted, society, current events, and everyday occurrences do play a major role, but doesnt it make you wonder if youre on top of life, because youre successfully calling the shots, or lifes on top of you, stealing your happiness and satisfaction, making you follow where it decides to take you.

Allans mood was down in the dumps. Hed been looking for a job with virtually no success for more than six months. He was out of unemployment, job prospects were slim, and he was losing hope. He spent a great deal of his time either job hunting, or sleeping, for sleeping was the only way he could escape his chaotic life and find some peace from the troubles that plagued his every waking thoughts. He had an extremely negative attitude, and even when he was trying to put his best face on for his interviews, his hopeless demeanor shone through like a beacon.

Allan sat at his computer preparing yet another round of resumes when a pop-up came on screen. It asked him to rate his level of happiness on a scale of 1 to 10. Allan check-marked a 1! When he submitted his score the results appeared on another screen that said, "Your happiness level is in direct proportion to your level of success. For guaranteed success find happiness, a light heart, and become a director!" Allan thought about the survey for the rest of the evening, and the following weekend. A few days later he was contacted for an interview. Hed been trying to adjust his mood by paying more attention to what was going on around him, taking note of the good things that he had in his life, and not focusing on his unemployment.

When Allan went to the interview, he was rather surprised to find it was not a traditional interview. His prospective employer wanted to see how Allan interacted with the staff because it was a supervisory position and he needed to mentor his staff. Despite his surprise and trepidation Allan threw himself into his interview and tried to draw strength from "the positive." Allan was offered the job on the spot for an annual salary that was way more than hed ever made in his life. When he asked his boss why he was offered the job, he was told that he had a "good attitude." Allan was quite pleased that he took the time to read the pop-up that changed his life. He was even happier that he decided that he would always try to direct his life instead of having life circumstances direct him. How did he begin making the change? Allan put this to practice by using meditation, relaxation techniques, and writing to keep him on track. He recognized that his former behavior had been learned, and knew that he needed to substitute new tools for old habits in order to create successful change.

So if life has control over you, why not choose to grab life by the tail and chart your course. With all that is going on in the world, let a positive attitude guide your way and become your mantra. With practice, life will become similar to a revolving door, allowing laughter and positive energy in, and having it flow back out to others. The gift of a kind word, helping hand, or radiant smile has far-reaching affects. The secret to having a life that you lead is to create a reality that is uniquely yours, but one full of passion, promise, and the pulsation of life.