“It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.” -Ram Dass

I was struggling for a lot of the day; I felt a magnetic pull towards negative thinking…it can be seductive like that. Often I start with one solid negative experience or thought. Today, it was a combination of dealing with medical insurance and thinking about the impotent healthcare reform. It is a slippery slope; before long, I couldn’t think of anything that was wholly good. There are some hard realities about living in the world. Figuring out how to bring them into the light takes unwavering intention, determination and a little humor.

My dark cloud filled the office and I couldn’t remember why I have a love company or why I keep working to beat the odds to keep all the balls in the air. I was sent out to walk the dogs by my colleagues when the sun came shining through the windows. I have one very little dog and one very big dog. They both think they are the other, and watching them run circles around each other always makes me laugh. So the sun and the dogs reminded me (again) that even the things that are out of our control don’t have to rule your mind. Amazing what a little bright light can do for a clouded mind.

I came back to my work light-hearted, I started remembering what I love about what I do. I worked on our new brand and labels and I invited people to join me on my new radio show “Lunch with the Loveologist,” launching on LA Talk Radio in February. I even got to sell some love products. The feeling of gratitude snuck up on me, for how lucky I am to be surrounded by such great employees, for spreading the word of loving, for having such a cool job. I filled my mind with ideas that inspired me and the work became inspirational.

All the time I was caught in my funk and trying without success to change my mind, I had forgotten one of the big keys to positivity. Change your body situation to change your mind. Introduce nature to your mind. Wake up and experience your life through your sensory organs. By using the physical body to live fully in the physical world, you can often find your way to a new mind. This is much more reliable than expecting your mind to change itself.