At some point during my vacation, the switch was flipped. This moment was my Mental Breakthrough, and the resulting conviction was that my life deserves the benefit of a positive mindset. The premise is simple enough, and it consists of three common sense observations:

1. Laughing is awesome.
2. Depression is a waste of time.
3. I have enough liberty to obtain happiness.

Based upon these principles and the unfolding events of recent weeks, now seemed the appointed time to decide how I shall face future circumstances, be they good or ill on the surface. I was compelled to jot down several two-word directives, each based on insights that have been known for millennia. But their simplicity is what makes them sensible. I call them Braditudes, and they have already begun to change my thinking, even at the knee-jerk level. The order is important, but I think I will refrain from describing their exact meaning, at least for now. Better to mull over the words in their brevity.

1. Disrupt routine.
2. Harness anxiety.
3. Treasure others.
4. Learn plenty.
5. Embrace decisions.
6. Abandon regret.
7. Pursue glory.
8. Appreciate imperfection.
9. Devalue judgment.
10. Effuse life.