Pay attention to what makes you feel optimistic.
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Do you feel more positive when the collective mood is positive? The flowers are bright, the neighbors look happy, the dog's tail is wagging. "Try to really tune in to what you're thinking and feeling in the moment," suggests Maddux. "If you're feeling good, try to understand what brought you there and how to get there again." You can also try to bank those positive feelings to draw on when you're feeling the darkness creep in--like in the dead of winter when you're shoveling your fifth round of snow. "Remind yourself that winter is transient, that in just a short amount of time the flowers will be blooming," he says.
