Negativity is something we’re all warned against. We’re told to be optimists, to see opportunities where others don’t, but we’re not always taught how. Turns out, it has a lot to do with discipline (something I need to work on).
Lately, I’ve been obsessing over many different kinds of Ted Talks. From neuroscience, to music performance, to becoming a good conversationalist, the thing that unites all these topics is optimism. If you want to get better at using your entire brain, if you want to be a better performer, if you want to get better at talking with people, you have to learn to see opportunities everywhere, and it turns out it only takes a few minutes a day to train your brain that way.
From all these lectures, I’ve gleaned that writing down three things you’re thankful for each day is enough to change the mode of your brain from focusing on failures to discovering opportunities. I’ll give it a try and let you guys know how it goes (among other personal discipline experiments I’ll be trying in the next couple weeks).
For today, here are three things I’m thankful for:
- I’m thankful for the ability to find an outlet in writing; whether it be fact or fiction, simply feeling the pen travel across the page is therapy enough.
- I’m thankful for true friends who are always there, even if you can’t always see them.
- I’m thankful for God’s perfect timing, or fate or destiny, whatever you’d like to call it. Things have a tendency of happening when they’re supposed to, so I’m thankful they happen when they do, so I can learn from all of it.
That’s it for today. I hope you’ll join me in a few thankful things each day. Share some positivity in the comments!
Hi, I’m Amy!

I’m a PhD studying Music Theory & Cognition at Northwestern University in Chicago.
I love teaching, which is why you’ll find me teaching music theory on social media (@girlinbluemusic).
Music is something I believe everyone should have the chance to learn, so I’m doing everything I can to support affordable music education around the world.
In addition to all of this, I also love exploring Chicago, boxing, rock climbing, and just enjoying life. That’s an important part of being a musician too!
Even if you don’t purchase anything from me, I hope you got at least one big takeaway from this platform: the music you want to make is already in you.
You just need some help getting it out of you!
No matter what you choose to do, I’m here to help you become the best musician you can be!
Have a look at my post too. You may like it. Subscribe and share :)
https://theinkedscalpel.wordpress.com/2017/08/19/absolutes/
Thanks for sharing!
:)
Lovely sentiment, that. TED Talks have the tendency to inspire; but beware, for some of the speakers are peddlers of false wisdom!
And yes, that’s a quote from a novel I’ll someday write. xD
Oh yes, just like all information, check behind it. Amd awesome, I look forward to reading this future novel!
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