Do you know how to make lemonade from lemons? Here are six powerful ways to turn your day around. By Kevin Daum, Inc 1. Curb your optimism Many people talk about optimism being the path to happiness. I couldn't disagree more. Obviously pessimism is not helpful in bad times, but there is another approach. When things are going poorly, it's pragmatism and not optimism that will get you through.   In Good to Great, Jim Collins suggests: have "undying faith" that things will get better, yet "confront the brutal facts" that you may not have much control over how or when they'll improve. This way, additional problems won't feel like major setbacks and you'll be able to manage your impatience and persevere through any hindrance on the way back to happiness.     2. Maintain disciplined structure Anyone who is religious is familiar with strict ritual in the face of emotional circumstances. In my dark times I created and adhered to a rigid schedule of productive activity like networking, writing, and physical activity. The networking forced me to engage with people so I wouldn't feel alone. The writing allowed for creative activity and much needed emotional release. And the exercise released endorphins and allowed me to manage the one thing I solely controlled - my body. 3. Lean on those around you When times are tough, many hold it in. You don't want to seem like a complainer and there may be a degree of embarrassment in the bad circumstances. Find people close to you who will let you verbalise your issues. My friends were my strength when things got bad. Mostly they listened but often kept me on track with brutal honesty. After a while I got so tired of hearing myself complain that I was motivated simply to have good news to share for their sake. Today I am the first to support friends on a bad day, if only to listen and share truthful observations. 4. Revel in the humour There is humour in everything, no matter how traumatic. Humour is the way we get in touch with our humanity and ridicule situations beyond our control. Given the choice of crying about a bad situation or finding the humorous side, I go for the laugh every time. Laughter breaks tension, releases powerful endorphins and allows for a much needed emotional release. 5. Celebrate victories (especially the small ones) No day is ever all bad. Ironically, some of my greatest triumphs and opportunities came on the heels of difficulty. Certainly the bad news at times felt like someone was swinging at my head with a baseball bat. But those were the days I would focus hardest on looking for some sign of forward progress. Any small win became a reason to pat myself on the back. Even though I often moved one step forward and two steps back, it was the smallest victory that would give me the confidence to slug it out and continue. Soon enough, that string of small victories leads to big ones if for no other reason than opportunity attracts people who win often. 6. Pay it forward No matter how bad things got, I always knew that my life was still far better than many others, particularly during the financial crisis. I did my best to find and help others who were struggling like me. Sometimes I had nothing to share but empathy and experience. But it helped build my confidence and disposition to support others in finding the path to recovery. Many of those people today are my most ardent supporters. And now our shared celebrations of success are that much more meaningful. http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/turn-bad-days-into-good-ones-6-ways.html?nav=river