Have you ever had a bad day? How did it affect you? Did it have a lasting, even temporary, effect on you and those around you?

When you let the little problems get you down, then you give the big problems the power to overwhelm you. When you constantly complain about things that don't really matter, you compromise your ability to handle the things that do matter.

Whenever your day is interrupted by an unexpected annoyance, you have a choice to make. You can let it poison your whole attitude, or you can actually use it to make you more positive and have a feeling of self-control.

Decide to shrug and work through those annoyances, and to see each one as an opportunity for growth. Every minor annoyance that you successfully handle will strengthen your confidence.

That confidence will be valuable when a major problem comes along. Even more importantly, that same confidence enables you to reach your goals and objectives.

If you're already in the habit of moving forward through the little challenges, that momentum will serve you well when the big challenges arrive. Every small problem provides you with a way to increase your positive momentum.

A day that is filled with annoyances is a day that is rich with opportunities for real growth and success. Don’t shy away from them. Welcome those opportunities with confidence and assurance that once achieved they will make you stronger.