It’s easy, at times, to dwell on the negative. We can find fault in every aspect of our lives, if we’re looking for it. Granted some of us have had major hardships, whether they’ve been financial, serious illness, loss or emotional issues. Unfortunately, there are times we experience life-altering events. Some more than others. Some more devastating than others. However, many people experience the day-to-day struggles, a run of bad luck and the typical annoyances that are enough to throw us for a loop. You know the days I mean. Days that are not earth-shattering, but frustrating enough to put us in a mood. You know the days when EVERYTHING goes wrong?!
Allow me to remind you…
You spend ten minutes frantically searching every room in the house for your keys, only to realize they were in your coat pocket the whole time. On your way to work you spill your coffee in your lap and now have to stop at the nearest coffee shop and are stressing about running late and getting cranky. You’re finally back on the road, after the longest drive-through line EVER! Then, not only does it start pouring, but you’re now behind the one person, on the road, who’s acting as if they never saw rain before. When you arrive at work, 15 minutes late, you’re bombarded with the instant chaos of problems to solve, questions to answer and all you can think of is your own long list of undesirable tasks ahead. You battle through the day and eventually get to head home, feeling defeated and exhausted.
Sound familiar? Annoying? Yes. Frustrating? Absolutely. I get it. I’ve been there! Truth be told, we all have. The key to recovering from ‘bad days’ is learning how to rebound quickly. Stay positive. Focusing on the negative, could cause a downward spiral, potentially, sending us into a dark place of feeling down or even the depressed thinking of ‘Why me?!’. It leads to more going wrong every step of the way and total disgust with ourselves, our lives and everything we do.
At some point we need to catch ourselves. Stop. Acknowledge the frustration. Then, actively find one little positive thing to shift our thinking and turn our day around. Find the ‘silver-lining’. I’ll admit, when you’re having ‘a day’, the LAST thing you want someone to say is, “Look on the bright side!”, with a cheerful voice and a great, big smile on their face. (insert eye roll here) I know, I know. But, I’m sorry to say….they are right. It helps. I’ve found on these “why did I get out of bed” days, it helps to count my blessings. Refocus on the things that are positive, in our lives. There’s ALWAYS something.
I was leaving the grocery store the other day, feeling flat broke because I had just spent $80, after planning to only get my five, needed items. As I’m running through my bank account balance, in my mind, I see a homeless man. He was sitting on the ground, at the corner. I couldn’t help but notice his tattered clothes and disheveled appearance. (I’ve heard some people say, scammers do that now. Maybe he was ‘a fake’, but maybe he was truly destitute. Either way, it’s a different conversation.) At that point, I realized how fortunate I am. I was driving a car, with the heat on. I was wearing a coat. And, necessary or not, I had a trunk full of groceries. I was driving to a roof over my head and a family that loves me. Those are the positive ‘little things’ that not everyone has and that we all too often take for granted. I’m reminded of one of my, all time, favorite Christmas movies, White Christmas. Bing Crosby sings:
“When I’m worried and I can’t sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep And I fall asleep counting my blessings When my bankroll is getting small I think of when I had none at all And I fall asleep counting my blessings”
Is your glass half full or half empty? Think positive my friends. Find the silver lining in your lives. And go ahead, LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. No matter how small that ‘good thing’ is, it counts. Focus on that!