The world can be full of discouraging things. Negative events and actions completely out of our control. But how we choose to deal with those events define who we are. We can choose to be negative about it, everyone would understand. “So much hurt in your life, no wonder why you choose to hurt others. It’s all you know,” they could easily say. But what good does that do? It just goes around creating more heartache and negativity. The cycle will never end. So I choose to see each challenge life throws at me as a blessing. It’s our choice to decide how we are going to live in this world. Why not be the light and bring joy to not only our own life, but the life of others? The first step in seeing more positivity in the world is to create it in your own daily life.

Think of the sunflower. Big, bold, bright. They grow together in harmony. They barely need anything to thrive and they can endure through some of the toughest weather conditions. But they grow through that all, as vibrant as ever, alongside of each other. If we all shined as bright as sunflowers, think how beautiful the world would be. Taking on the harsh conditions and using that to make us better. To help us grow. Knowing that the flower next to us went through the same exact hardships, we still choose to grow big and bright and beautiful together! By being the light, we can illuminate the way for each other to find the beauty and joy in everything.

So today, be the light and joy you wish to see in the world. Think of the big, bright sunflower. Meet anger with sympathy, contempt with compassion, and cruelty with kindness. Greet each grimace with smile. Remember that each person you meet is dealing with their own battles, their own “harsh conditions.” Choose to not only find the good, but be the good. The more we choose to react to life’s discouraging events with positivity and compassion, the more our world will start to resemble a beautiful, bright sunflower field.