Every full life has its bright days and its dark days, its triumphs and defeats, its calm and stormy seas. All these high and low experiences could justify viewing the past through the lens of gratitude or disappointment. And the way we characterize our history will determine whether we look toward our future with hopeful expectations or anxious trepidation. If you are not predisposed to optimism the best way to improve the way you experience your life is to discipline yourself to reject negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Literally, practice banishing negative thoughts as soon as they appear as you would an unwelcome would be guest who wants to do you harm. -Michael Josephson