For the past 31 days, my life has been difficult. Due to the undeserved, vengeful actions of another, my emotional landscape developed hills and valleys, flowing from stress to depression to rage to vengefulness. I struggled—and still struggle—to guide my thinking upward to a more positive, optimistic outlook.

Everyone has their own way of coping with adversity. I often turn to quotations. Below are some quotations that can help you and me maintain and/or achieve a positive outlook while facing challenges whether they come from an inside or outside force.

• One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself. ~Lucille Ball
• You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination. ~Ralph Marston
• My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
• Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. ~Maya Angelou
• He who angers you conquers you. ~Elizabeth Kenny
• A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright