Do you think that People and relationships can be "toxic" to a person?  I do.  I have in the recent past, had to sever more than a few relationships with "friends" and even family members, due to their consistent and profound negative impact on my emotional and even physical well being. 

I love these people, but can no longer be associated with them in more than a casual, intermittent level.  They are just too draining on my emotional well being.  I cannot permit myself to be surrounded by people who constantly find fault, negative connotation to every event or statement or situation in life.  I just cannot do it anymore.  I have to surround myself with people who CHOOSE to be joyful, happy and see the glass as "half full", rather than "half empty".  By beholding, we become changed, and that goes both ways.  If we surround ourselves with negative, complaineing, naysayers, we naturally gravitate to that mindset.  On the other hand, if we choose to befriend and surround ourselves with positive, upbeat and happy people, we will gradually become like them in our way of thinking positively!

I have a hundred "reasons" why I could be depressed, despondent, unhappy, miserable and full of negative feelings.  I choose not to focus on these reasons, but rather to "count my blessings" focusing on the positive things in my life, no matter how minute or seemingly unimportant.  I find joy in little things, events and seemingly unimportant things.  I find joy where others may not. 

We can  not choose or change anothers way of thinking or behavior, but we can certainly choose and change our way of reacting to it.  We alone control our reations to each and every event in our lives.  We can choose to follow, or we can choose our own path.  I choose every day to be happy, positive and satisfied.  I may not have all that I want, or things may not always go the way I wish, but I can find happiness and contentment in whatever situation I find myself, If I just choose to focus on the good and positive aspects of any given situation.

I hope all who read this will find something to be happy about today, and begin to "choose" to be happy, regardless of what those around us "choose" to be.

Life is a series of up's and down's, but there is a lesson to be learned in every situation.  Choose well.