I don't know about anyone else, but for me this has been a long week.
The family has suffered an incredible run of bad luck this week, and I'm not just talking about Panda getting sick (she's doing better, by the way, we're keeping our fingers crossed that she can come home today). If it's true that "that which does not kill you makes you stronger" then we should come out of this with the powers of superman!
Life is a series of checks and balances, good versus bad. Perhaps sometimes it's not easy to see the good in life, but trust me, it's there. Maybe it's just the little things, and stacked up against the bad they seem insignificant, but I think that's because it's easier to dwell on the bad instead of looking for the good.
When I lost my job, all I could focus on was the loss of income. But I doubt I could have stayed in that job much longer because of the stress. By being laid off it opened up opportunities that wouldn't have been available if I'd quit.
When my unemployment ran out and my income dropped by $200 a month, it co-incided with buying out the lease on my car, which dropped my car payments by $150 a month.
Most of the time it's not that easy to see the good in the bad that life throws at us, but if there's one thing I learned in therapy, it's that you can't dwell on the bad stuff. It only leads to a downward spiral that gets harder to recover from each time it happens.
The good in life happens randomly, when you least expect it, which makes it all the better for having happened. The bad, however, seems to wait until an opportune moment and then slams you hard. The more you dwell on it, the more it happens. It seems to be drawn by your expectation.
So take my advice, my friends. When the bad stuff happens, accept it, then let it go. How can the bad be balanced by the good if you're so filled up with the negative that there's no room for the positive?
Checks and balances, my friends. Checks and balances.
Friday, June 5, 2009
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2 comments:
It really is so important to stay positive, isn't it? I'm normally a pretty optimistic person, but I've had to watch my hubby come to terms with a serious loss of income this week as he prepares to switch jobs (getting out before his company implodes). I've always been less focused on money, but it's extremely hard for him - which is stressful for me to watch. But I think he's finally starting to focus more on the positives as well. I just keep trying to point them out.
In any case, congrats on working hard to stay positive in the midst of your own stress. Things will get better - they always do. :-)
Remember too, that words are creative. And if you wait for the bad things, always on the lookout, you WILL find them. [great news about Pandapants!]
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