Bad things happened to me today. I was stung by a bee, and I threw out my “good” knee for the umpteenth time (feels like an MCL injury). These are not pleasant things (one’s particularly less pleasant than the other). But I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if I didn’t have a great day.

Staying positive, particularly when there’s pain, loss, or some other form of intense stress, is not easy. We naturally have emotions and reactions, and the most difficult thing is to tell ourselves we shouldn’t have these emotions and reactions.

But in every situation, at every event, we have a choice. We can whine or we can do something about it. We can focus on the negatives or we can focus on the positives. We can be sweet or we can be salty. It’s all a choice.

I was stung by a bee while laying out by the pool, reading a very enjoyable book (Yes, My Accent is Real by Kunal Nayyar – go get it). In a lot of cases, bee stings by the pool are day-ruiners, particularly when you get stung in the palm and your big thing is hand writing every post. But I was having such a great time! I can get over myself to keeping having a great time. I should do that.

I injured my knee coming down wrong in a game of backyard volleyball, celebrating one of my groomsmen’s graduate school graduation. It hurt really bad, and it’s super discouraging when you blow out one of your knees every time you finally start being active again. I’m actually starting to feel like I’m supposed to be fat and sedentary with all of this. It’s confusing at best. But everyone at the party was having a great time! I was, too! Why would I rain on that parade? It was so much more fun to stay positive and friendly.

A person’s emotions are contagious. Yours are, mine are, everybody’s are. If one person is gloomy, they’re going to bring every else down. If one person is happy, they’re going to bring everyone else up. And we all have a choice in which one we are.

In every situation, we are in control of ourselves. We choose to be one thing or the other, to act one way or another. There will always be times where you will be justified in being upset or miserable or grumpy. But man! if it isn’t more fun to stay positive.