This is Day 31 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.

Learning. Not unlike discovery, it requires you to have a desire for information. But learning is all about gaining knowledge. Reading books, listening to lectures or taking classes. Always learning keeps you young and it keeps life interesting.

Every day, I listen to the world news in both French and German. I listen to podcasts on everything from the history of the English language to web design and development. Last year I read nearly 40 novels, this year around 20 novels and 15 non-fiction books. Three of them weren’t in English.

I keep my mind active, because when it is doing those things – learning something, it can’t be thinking about the pain or life with food allergies. Learning keeps me occupied and out of dark places. And science says it is good for me too.

Keep learning, keep your mind busy, and you can keep your mind it a positive place.

Share the positivity on Twitter, Instagram and Google+ with the hashtag #100positivedays. Also, you can sign up to be emailed a recap each week of the challenge.