Happiness is very important to Americans. At the very least, appearing to be positive, happy, and avoid challenging accepted conventions of everyday existence is required to be liked and even popular.

I’ve learned a lot the past 10 years about not letting my thoughts and cynicism sidetrack me and I’ve decided that I’m not going to be tossed to and fro on a sea of negativity or despair.

Life is a never-ending series of events, some good, some bad, and some just plain awful. I’m not someone that lives by affirmations or believes happy phrases are a talisman for warding off evil, or the vampires that want to suck your energy and lifeblood. I do believe that our minds are powerful organs and we can channel that power to our benefit.

Having spent a good portion of the last six years focused on getting people back into the realm of employment has required me to push positive actions, however. I don’t think I’ve been disingenuous in doing so. I’ve also found that having goals, making plans, and following through leads to success.

What you fill your head with matters. Find a few writers and thinkers that will fill your brain with positive thoughts and ideas, or at least material that gives you the hope you need to push forward in a tough world that needs more leaders and fewer sheep being led around by the nose.

In that spirit, I’ve gathered five random, positive mantras and aphorisms that I thought about this morning and I hope one or two of them help you get your day off on positive footing and carry you forward over the course of your week.

• If you don’t get picked, it’s their fault not yours. (Seth Godin)

• To create great work, here’s how you must spend your time; 1% inspiration, 9% perspiration, 90 % justification. (George Lois)

• Building a better you is the first step to building a better America. (Zig Ziglar)

• Greatness and nearsightedness are incompatible. Meaningful achievement depends on lifting one’s sights and pushing toward the horizon. (Daniel Pink)

• Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. (Victor Frankl)

Make today a great one!