What if you believed that life was always testing you?

What if you lived your life as if there was a video camera on you at all times?

What if that footage was shared with everyone?

Would you act the way you do?

Would you think twice before doing something?

That’s what I try to do and let me tell you — it is one of the keys to happiness.

Let me share some examples…

Before I was in this mindset, when someone would cut me off in traffic, I would get angry, like really angry. I’d try to speed up, go up next to them, flip them off and then try to cut them off. I didn’t know who they were, nor did I care. For whatever reason, it was my natural reaction…

Before I was in this mindset, I would HATE going through security at the airport. I would get frustrated and it started my trip on the wrong note every single time. I reacted this way because “that’s what everyone else did.” But everyone else looked miserable…

Before I was in this mindset, if my meal came out wrong at a restaurant, I would lose my appetite and my mood would instantly change. Whoever I was out to eat with noticed and it would bring their mood down as well. I mean, I would just create friction and awkwardness…

Before I was in this mindset, if someone didn’t want to do business with me for whatever reason, I allow it to ruin my day, sometimes even my week or month. I would allow their one decision to prevent me from helping other people…

Living that way was miserable. It was difficult and I had nothing to look forward to in any given day. Why would I? I had a negative reaction to everything that was happening to me. Finally, through consuming content, wanting to make a change and more importantly, wanting to make a difference, I decided to flip the switch. I decided to CHOOSE to be positive. After all, being positive and being negative in our reactions is 100% a choice.

So what did I do?

I cut out the news.

I unfollowed negative people that had nothing good to say on social media/

I cut out people in my life that were negative.

I surrounded myself with positive people.

I listened to positive YouTube videos.

I listened to positive audiobooks.

I listened to positive podcasts.

I made choice to be positive in every interaction I had. To the point where people would question me as to why I was so happy and why I was so positive even in the darkest of times.

So…

Now, when someone cuts me off in traffic, I wave with a big smile on my face and let them go ahead of me. Clearly their in a rush.

Now, when I go through security at the airport, I show up extra early to give myself time so I’m not in a rush. I view this part of my trip as just that — part of the trip. Memories are made every step you take, why close yourself off from them during that leg of the trip. Make it fun, put a smile on TSAs face and brighten their day. Call them by their name, after all, that’s the biggest form of flattery.

Now, if my meal comes out wrong, I politely let the server know and tell them it’s OK. They apologize up and down and I tell them not to worry about it. They fix it, I’m happy, their happy and I still tip them as if everything went 100% well. I mean, it did, the fixed the situation.

Now, if someone doesn’t want to do business with me for whatever reason, I’m OK with that. The universe will allow me to do business with the right people at the right time. I let them know that it’s OK and that I’m ready to serve them whenever they are.

So what’s the result of all this?

I’m happy.

All.

The.

Time.

Seriously, test me. Through me a curve ball. I’ll catch it.

So I want you to go out and choose to be positive, choose to be nice, and choose to have a profound impact on the people around you.

It’ll make a world of a difference.