Bad Things Happen
Have you ever had a bad day? No, I mean a really bad day, that has maybe turned into a bad week, a bad month, a bad year? We all have those to varying degrees. These moments/situations/circumstances are impossible to compare one to the other. One person's end-of-the-world scenario is another person's it-could-be worse scenario. I feel like I've lived through the worst a person can experience, yet I know that there are people out there who have had it much, much worse than me. It doesn't matter, though, because what I've gone through is mine, I own it, and I get to decide what to do with it.
And that's just the point. Bad things happen. All the time. We don't always control what happens either. What we can control, though, is how we react in the face of what happens.
Someone told me the other day that she had read that stress is a construct, something that is made up, not really real. I've thought about what she said all week, especially since I've been feeling stressed. I wouldn't go up to someone in the midst of their most difficult moment to say that there is no such thing as stress. I'm not looking to get punched in the face. But this idea has helped me to re-focus my own difficult moments. I am responsible for not only my own kids, but a few hundred other children on a daily basis. That fact is bound to cause a certain amount of tension in my life. I can spend all day worrying about what can go wrong, what has gone wrong and what I have left to do on my "Good Luck Trying To Get Through It All To Do List." I can even let all of that build up and manifest itself in physical pain. In fact, if I let myself really ponder it all, then I think I would end up paralyzed by fear. Who wants that?
So, I've decided to change my mindset. It's a conscious decision, for sure, and one that's necessary for survival. I mean, I could conceivable spend every evening curled up in a ball on the couch with my comfiest pyjamas and favourite Haagen Dasz ice cream, but that won't get me anywhere. If I continue to dwell on what's not going right, then I'm not productive and I can't make the situation better.
So, my plan is as follows:
1. Keep wearing a smile, even when (especially when) I don't feel like smiling.
2. Be kind to everyone, no matter my opinions.
3. Take care of my loved ones... and me.
4. Focus on the present moment - one item on my To Do List at a time.
I have faith that this strategy will work for me. Like running, the toughest part is getting out of bed and getting out the door. Once that's done, the rest follows and becomes easier with each step.
I'm sharing this today because I know plenty of people who are going through their own hard times and my hope is that they feel inspired to take the first step out the door. The only way to find solutions is to begin looking for them, instead of only focusing on the problems. It is all too easy to give in to the negative. Sometimes, it takes major effort to see the positive and then act on it, but it is oh, so worth it.
And that's just the point. Bad things happen. All the time. We don't always control what happens either. What we can control, though, is how we react in the face of what happens.
Someone told me the other day that she had read that stress is a construct, something that is made up, not really real. I've thought about what she said all week, especially since I've been feeling stressed. I wouldn't go up to someone in the midst of their most difficult moment to say that there is no such thing as stress. I'm not looking to get punched in the face. But this idea has helped me to re-focus my own difficult moments. I am responsible for not only my own kids, but a few hundred other children on a daily basis. That fact is bound to cause a certain amount of tension in my life. I can spend all day worrying about what can go wrong, what has gone wrong and what I have left to do on my "Good Luck Trying To Get Through It All To Do List." I can even let all of that build up and manifest itself in physical pain. In fact, if I let myself really ponder it all, then I think I would end up paralyzed by fear. Who wants that?
So, I've decided to change my mindset. It's a conscious decision, for sure, and one that's necessary for survival. I mean, I could conceivable spend every evening curled up in a ball on the couch with my comfiest pyjamas and favourite Haagen Dasz ice cream, but that won't get me anywhere. If I continue to dwell on what's not going right, then I'm not productive and I can't make the situation better.
So, my plan is as follows:
1. Keep wearing a smile, even when (especially when) I don't feel like smiling.
2. Be kind to everyone, no matter my opinions.
3. Take care of my loved ones... and me.
4. Focus on the present moment - one item on my To Do List at a time.
I have faith that this strategy will work for me. Like running, the toughest part is getting out of bed and getting out the door. Once that's done, the rest follows and becomes easier with each step.
I'm sharing this today because I know plenty of people who are going through their own hard times and my hope is that they feel inspired to take the first step out the door. The only way to find solutions is to begin looking for them, instead of only focusing on the problems. It is all too easy to give in to the negative. Sometimes, it takes major effort to see the positive and then act on it, but it is oh, so worth it.
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