Hi,

You know, if it were summertime, my goddaughter would be wanting to have a lemonade stand and sell lemonade. Lots of kids like to do that. I don’t think it even matters whether they’re rich or poor, either. I’m not sure it’s even about needing the money, is what I mean. Like, they might want the extra money to buy something special. But mostly I think kids like to put up lemonade stands and sell lemonade just for the fun of it, don’t you think?

Of course, to a lot of kids (like me), making their own money IS fun! LOL Speaking of making lemonade…You’ve probably heard that expression: “If life gives you lemons…make lemonade.”
Well…I think that can apply to bipolar disorder as well, if you think about it.

Because it means that you need to have a positive attitude, and that’s one thing that can be very
important when you’re trying to deal with the ups and downs that come with bipolar disorder.
Your attitude can determine many things. It can even affect your health, did you know that?

It’s true. Even the American Heart Association promotes having a positive attitude. They say that having a positive attitude decreases stress. And since stress is one of the major factors in stroke
and heart attacks, a positive attitude can actually prevent them! So to stay in good health, in other words, have a positive attitude!

Your attitude also affects your emotional well being. If you’re in a negative frame of mind, it won’t even matter if good things happen to you, because you’ll react to them negatively. But the opposite is also true: if you’re in a positive frame of mind, it won’t matter if bad things happen to you, because you’ll react to them positively. And, in that case, you will definitely react to
them with a better frame of mind.

For example: Say you have a major problem that comes against you. Problems sometimes need creative solutions. It can take a process to solve them. And you need to have the wherewithal to be able to do that. If you have a negative attitude, you won’t be able to think of all the possible solutions…Where if you have a positive attitude, you WILL be able to think of all the possible solutions to your problem. Even that crazy, “it’ll-never-work” answer that may be the very solution to your problem, you never know!

But the more positive you are, the more receptive you will be to even consider it. Having a more positive attitude doesn’t just help you to solve problems better, like the major problems that come against you at times (like a major bipolar episode), but it can also help you cope with the smaller day-to-day problems of dealing with a loved one with bipolar disorder. Having a positive attitude is just better for you all around.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave