Thinking Positive Toolbox

By Tracie Joy

The Thinking Positive Toolbox is a companion to Thinking Positive: Take the Journey into Positivity.  What do you do when you are in a funk and can't seem to get yourself out of it?  The Thinking Positive Toolbox is full of tips, ticks and strategies to help you develop ways to improve your mood and brighten your outlook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tracie Joy
• Release date: Jul 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223619253

Book preview

Also by the Author

Thinking Positive: Taking the Journey into Positivity

Dedication

TO ABBIE AND ZACH – thanks for being the best kids ever.  If I never accomplish anything else in this life, I can still rest easy, because my biggest accomplishment is you!

Disclaimer

Everybody gets down in the dumps now and then, but this is not to be confused with depression.  Clinical depression is an actual medical diagnosis, and this book is in no way a replacement for medical treatment.  The symptoms for depression include:

Mood: anxiety, apathy, general discontent, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, mood swings, or sadness

Sleep: early awakening, excess sleepiness, insomnia, or restless sleep

Whole body: excessive hunger, fatigue, loss of appetite, or restlessness

Behavioral: agitation, excessive crying, irritability, or social isolation

Cognitive: lack of concentration, slowness in activity, or thoughts of suicide

Weight: weight gain or weight loss

Also, common: poor appetite or repeatedly going over thoughts.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from symptoms like this, please seek treatment with a medical professional as soon as possible.  If you need somebody to talk to, there is help available:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Call Center – 1-800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863

Author’s Note

It’s certainly taken me a long time to get around to finishing this book.  I came up with the idea in January of 2019, and then I started writing.  Something happened in March that threw me for a loop.  Covid-19.  Did I get it?  No, I did not. But as a teacher, I had two weeks to figure out how to take everything I did and make it doable on a computer.  I had to figure out google classroom, and more importantly, I had to work with students who didn’t quite realize that school was still happening even though they were home.

Eventually things settled down, but I was suffering from depression, and writing was the furthest thing from my mind.  Now I am not a genius by any stretch of the imagination, but I am fairy intelligent, so I did go see my doctor and got some help, but I still wasn’t feeling the urge to write at all.

Something happened a few weeks ago, that made me realize how much I needed to finish working on this toolbox and use the tools myself.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I won’t say it’s not serious, because all cancer is serious, but it was caught early, and I’m going to be okay.  But this little event made me realize once again how important thinking in a positive manner is and I started writing again.  While I’m certainly not happy I have breast cancer, I am so glad to be writing again, and I can’t wait to share this toolbox with you.

I guess I should say had breast cancer, because technically, I don’t have it any longer. I had a double mastectomy, and more recently, I had what is called a DIEP Flap Reconstruction.  I won’t bore you with the details, but I will say OUCH!  But during all of this, I noticed one thing that got me back to writing.  People kept telling me what a great attitude I had about the whole process.  They commented on how healthy they thought I was acting.  Why wouldn’t I?  People who have a positive outlook tend to do better during an illness than people who don’t, but also, what earthly good would whining and pouting and sulking do me.  It wasn’t going to make me not have cancer.

Am I saying I never whined, pouted, or sulked?  No, of course not.  I am human after all.  I did all those things and raged as well, but I didn’t focus on it.  I’d have my moods, and move on, and I believe that made all the difference.  I’m going to wrap this up so we can get on with the book, but I want to leave you with this.  Please do not skip your mammograms.  Get them done.  Catching something like this early makes all the difference in the world.

Introduction

A few years ago, I published Thinking Positive: Take the Journey into Positivity.  I have been, and always will be, a huge proponent of thinking