I am sure there are a thousand Spark blogs with this title. Ha!

Every day I get up, look at myself in the mirror and the first thought is, "Why aren't you thin?" followed by, "What is wrong with you?" Then the avalanche of negativity begins.

I need to stop that.

The reality is I am a very optimistic person. I don't think the world is going to hell in a handbasket. I think people are generally good. I have a positive outlook on most things. I can even be a darn good cheerleader. I just don't have much of a positive view of myself.

As I was getting some things done today, the refrain "You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative..." started to run through my head. I got home later and looked up the lyrics. Wow, I need to memorize those lyrics!

I am tired of being Ms. In-Between. That's exactly who I am when it comes to food. I won't commit to the lifelong habits necessary to ensure my good health so I get into a negative tailspin. I get so caught up in "poor me, I can't eat sugar" or "poor me, I can't eat that many calories" or "poor me, everybody else is better at this" that it sets the tone for many other things in my life. That is negative.

I am finally taking some positive steps and need to acknowledge that. I might fall off the wagon here and there but I am eating far healthier food now than ever. In fact, with my last doctor's appointment, when I had fallen far off the wagon, my blood pressure was still low and my bloodwork was still normal. Now that I am on a vegan track, I am sure my numbers will be through the roof with my next appointment in May! That is positive.

And that's what I am going to continue to focus on. I CAN do this. I AM doing this.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

(To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark)

Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me, hmm?

(Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear
About the elininatin' of the negative
And the accent on the positive)
And gather 'round me children if you're willin'
And sit tight while I start reviewin'
The attitude of doin' right

(You've gotta accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between)

You've got to spread joy (up to the maximum)
Bring gloom (down) down to the minimum
Otherwise (otherwise) pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

To illustrate (well illustrate) my last remark (you got the floor)
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they say (what did they say)
Say when everything looked so dark

Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No! Don't mess with Mister In-Between