It is easy to be positive when everything is going well.

The trick to shining is keeping positive even when things aren't coming up roses.

I am especially reminded of how challenging this is during a week when something as simple as unusually cold weather has left me feeling less like Sally Sunshine and more like Oscar the Grouch.  I am practiced at having a positive attitude when February temperatures in Texas are their normal 50s and 60s and when ice isn't disrupting our family routine.  The trick, though, is to remain positive when anticipated meetings and social gatherings have to be rescheduled; when kids are home from school for days on end; and when getting in and out of winter garb begins to feel like a part time job.

If long, cold, dark winter days isn't what tests your resolve then how about: enjoying the holiday season when money is tight; buckling down to study when school is easier for everyone around you; enjoying the game even when your team is losing; volunteering when your efforts go unrecognized; and, as is the case with today's nominee, showing up to work with your A-game, even when work is a stressful place to be.

Choosing to be positive when things around you are not going well is the tell tale sign of someone who shines.  These people have an unsually keen sense of perspective.  They resist the inclination to wallow in their own misery and, instead of seeing the glass as half empty, they insist on seeing it as half full.  Such is the case with today's nominee.  See what her nominator had to say:

"Brenda Minicuci is the head of the Lifetime Fitness cafe in Troy, Michigan. She is also a doting mother of two grown young women, and a respected friend to countless people. During a time when the cafe is struggling financially and undergoing a heavy management change, Brenda makes it a point to be the go-to miracle worker at the cafe. Customers and employees alike spend their time visiting Brenda in the cafe because she is never short of smiles and quick wit to improve your day (not to mention, she knows the menu inside and out and can whip you up something brand new and delicious on the spot). Working too much overtime, Brenda still finds time to be a loving wife, mother, and friend to those in her life. It's not uncommon for her to lose sleep over someone else's problems and it's also not uncommon for all of her hard work to go unmentioned. For being a strong woman with a heart of gold, I nominate Brenda to be a YEP recipient because she deserves a thank you, a smile, and some love... just like she gives to everyone else."

The simplicity of Brenda's gestures is exactly what makes her shine and exactly why she deserves to have her mailbox flooded with our anonymous letters of gratitude.  She understands that small gestures make a big difference and, though the pay-off may never be big or pronounced, having a positive attitude makes others happy and that is enough to keep Brenda going.

Let's agree to show Brenda how the simplicity of her daily decision to be positive can be rivaled by the simplicity of our weekly ritual to send anonymous letters of gratitude.  Here is how:  Write Brenda a short note telling her she shines.  Consider sharing an example of how someone impacted your life just by choosing to be positive rather than negative.  Remind her that her work matters and to keep going because it is making her corner of the world a better place to live.  Then, seal it in a yellow envelope (or a white envelope decorated with yellow stickers and markers) and mail it to the address listed below.  

We have the most fun when our notes are anonymous, so instead of putting your return address, simply print the words, "Yellow Envelope Project."  Finally, commit to mailing your yellow envelope sometime before next Saturday when we meet again to recognize another worthy recipient.

Simple, but powerful.  Just like the contributions of Brenda.

Shining off until Monday...