Life is full of ups and downs.  It is part of the ride that keeps us engaged. When dealing with life struggles most people get stuck and may even try to disengage.  Most of us aren't very good at problem solving as a whole but there are a few tricks I would like to share with you.

Consider life's disappointments and opportunities as pieces to a puzzle.  When you get stuck it is as if you are shaking the closed box hoping for some solutions.  We all know that you must open the box before you can complete the puzzle.  But, some just shake the box, throw the box, hide the box... We must open the box and sort the pieces.  Each piece needs looked at and decided upon - not put back in the box.  We get to decide where it fits and what it represents.

Think about this...a memory is stored in your brain and can have a profound effect on you many years later.  Who decides whether it is a positive or a negative memory?  Most would say that the event decides but ultimately YOU decide.  Every situation can be seen in more than one way.  I know it seems that I am minimizing but just bare with me.  

Think about your worst memory, the biggest trauma in your life, an event that changed you.  Now, pick up the piece of the puzzle that represents this event and decide where you want it to be placed.  Placement of this piece is important - you can decide if it is a corner piece (that gives your puzzle a turn, shape and direction), a center piece (that is connected to several other pieces and blends with the others around it) or a piece that doesn't even belong in your puzzle.  YOU decide.  To Find the Magic, you place it where you want it and decide the impact that it will have on you.  

As you decide the impact that it will have on you, remember, if it is a negative emotion, flip the coin.  If this event changed you - you learned something from it and it made you stronger in some way, gave you awareness or changed your perspective.  The Magic is...at this moment you get to decide to re-assign the emotion that you carry forward.  Then, as you remember this event it will trigger a more positive response.  

The puzzle is always a work in progress and as life moves on, we must move pieces, make decisions about impact and emotions can change.  It is during this time that you can again re-assign emotion and make decisions to improve your life.  The magic is forever yours because you decide.  I have posted articles Flip the Coin and Changing Perspective that introduce concepts that are necessary in order to Find the Magic so you may want to look back at them.