February 23, 2026
“Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice.” – Stephen Covey
What we think has a lot to do with how we function.
We have a lot of power over what happens between our ears. By being intentional, we can shape our thoughts to reflect the kind of people we are meant to be. This means choosing to think about the things that add value to our lives and to others'.
When we control what we listen to, we effectively guard the gate of our minds, directing our thoughts toward what’s positive, refusing to let our hearts and love grow cold.
Here’s what makes this matter: Negativity has a more powerful impact on us than positive – it’s about three times more powerful. In relationships, we need approximately three positive interactions for every negative interaction. When it dips below that, communication and collaboration break down, and we cannot reach each other. Negativity eventually undermines us.
This insight inspires us to be intentional about stepping away from negativity. We get to set the standard for ourselves and others by refusing to get into other people’s drama or business and by refusing to listen to gossip, judgment, and assumptions. Instead, we influence at higher levels by drawing boundaries around negativity, allowing our influence to model contagious positive energy that adds to others' lives rather than drains them.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein warns us, “Your car goes where your eyes go.” That’s our guidance today: “Our lives go where our eyes go.”
Being responsible for the right use of our eyes keeps them lifted to what matters most. When we do, everything else finds its proper place, including our thoughts.
Be ruthless about what you let in your life. Lift your standard of thinking, because what we think has a lot to do with how we function – and that choice influences many somebodies, and those somebodies matter. Just like you matter!
Together, let’s be contagiously different!
Intentionally Own It! What growth does this message inspire me to embrace, and what makes it matter? When I embrace it, who am I becoming, and what value does this add to my life and to others?