Bad things are going to happen to you. You’re not always going to deserve them. Sometimes you’ll work your tail off and feel as though it’s all for nothing. There are going to be times when you feel discouraged, and occasionally you’ll feel really terrible. But that’s all okay, because you’re still in control.

The first time I publicly stated I wanted to make a living off of writing and doing what I love, I got one comment. It was a page-long rant from some random person about how pathetic and infuriating I was for “not working hard” like everyone else.

I’m not going to lie. It stung a bit. I was rather discouraged about writing for no less than a few weeks. You all have a similar story to share. You probably have dozens! The common thread between each of these stories is that you overcame that discouragement. Maybe it was instant, maybe God only knows how long it took. But you got through it.

Intentional positive thinking is a very powerful mental practice. Those who practice it tend to be more productive at work (by 12%), live longer, and report higher satisfaction in life (regardless of age, income, or ethnicity).

When a situation occurs – self-inflicted or otherwise – that leaves you discouraged, you can’t simply flip a switch and feel better. But you can choose to insert positive thoughts to help you overcome whatever discouragement may find you.

There’s a psychotherapy technique called cognitive restructuring. The essence is that when a negative thought is queued, you force yourself to think of something different, something positive. Through this, you can better overcome discouragement and other negative thoughts.

Discouragement is prevalent in each person’s life. Something’s going to get you down. But nothing has to be entirely life-ruining. You can choose to insert positivity into any and every situation. You can choose to work towards feeling better, even happy! Discouragement is only as bad as you let it be.