In every situation you always have a choice to make- how you are going to deal with the situation and how you are going to feel about it.

Coming from Europe to the USA as an exchange student decades ago, I felt I was in unknown and unfamiliar territories and I spent a lot of time learning the language and the culture and way of doing things…. Of course, all this before the internet, the emails, the text messages and all the easy ways we have now available to us to be in contact across the world in a blink of an eye. It was tough. I had to decide then if I was going to have a pity party with myself and live in the land of victimhood because I was in a new scary situation, or if I was going to embrace the opportunity and go for it. I had to make a conscious decision to enjoy every situation presented to me and make the best out of it. I used to say 80% of good that will come out of this situation will be because of my attitude and my willingness to be open and receptive to new experiences and 20% will be made on the spot by the situation itself. That was my motto back then.

And it still is.

The setting was irrelevant as wherever I was, whatever the circumstances, I made the situation into a learning or growing experience. I always felt alive enough to get something out of the experience and if I did not feel like the place I was in was an experience for me, I would work to move to a more fulfilling situation. Nothing is forever, and when you are creative and apply yourself to any undertaking, everything is possible.

I did not need anybody to cnsult about how things needed to be done, I would consult myself and come up with creative ways of enjoying the moment and make the best of it. I was responsible of my happiness and felt joy in the moment. I would look around and ask myself “How can I turn this into a terrific experience?”

What I can I do, say, feel right now that would bring more fulfillment to me?

I was not going to step into the land of victimhood (poor me, it is hard, I don’t understand, blah blah..) I used to turn every situation into my favor and was alert to any opportunity that would surface from it. I would take advantage of any situation to learn and grow more, while having fun.

This is when I learned that you are product of all the choices you make for yourself in life. We have the ability to make healthy choices for ourselves at any time by changing our attitude, by being alert to what is possible out there, by turning adversity around and by refusing to live in the land of victimhood.

When we have this “go getter” attitude, we are gratified by the way our life turns out for the better and we can live in abundance a very fulfilled life.

Are you ready to step up? Are you ready to say Yes more often? Do you realize that the most amazing moments in your life started with you saying Yes? I challenge you to say Yes more! If you are feeling stuck, like things are not moving the way you want to, if you are feeling that you need a change… then say Yes more. Just try it. You never know, it might just change your life!