"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success."
-Thomas J. Watson
Or, to put it in less scary words:
"Always be throwing crap at the wall [to see what sticks]"
– Matt Haughey
When something in your world isn't optimal, decide what you want to try instead, and then do that. Did it help, even a little bit? If so, great! Keep doing it! If not, observe what you've learned, decide on a new adjustment and do that.
Don't wait for external forces to improve your life; find any point where you've got a little give, and nudge things in the right direction.
It's not only about smoothing down the rough spots that snag your day. Continually find, celebrate, and amplify the small joys in your life. Even in the hardest times there is enjoyment to be found. Recognize those moments of delight and relief. That first sip of a cool beverage when you're too hot. A snatch of favorite music from a passing car. The coziness of pulling on a favorite shirt.
Tuning in to what is good will encourage you. Literally; it will give you courage to lift more of your life into that realm of joy and satisfaction which you absolutely deserve to be enjoying more of the time.
Discardia 