I saw something on Facebook recently that got me thinking.
If I’m honest, it made me feel a little guilty.
I’ve never been the most positive person. I’m often guilty of looking at the world through a doom laden lens, or seeing the negative in something that should bring me joy. I get that from my dad, who always jumps straight to the worst case scenario.
And once you’ve started to do that, it’s a difficult habit to break.
But this little meme forced me to reconsider my perspective.
I’ve put my own spin on it, but the message was a little something like this…
Instead of feeling annoyed about the housework I have to do, I should be grateful that I own my own home.
Instead of being frustrated that I don’t have the energy or the time for blogging anymore, I should be grateful that I have a hobby I’m passionate about.
Instead of giving myself a hard time about not working on my novel, I should congratulate myself on all the work it took to win a Northern Writers’ Award.
Instead of sighing or rolling my eyes because my husband hasn’t put the cutlery away again, maybe I should be grateful that I get to share a home with someone who loves me.
Instead of complaining because I’ve hoovered the house seven times already this week, maybe I should be grateful that I have a beautiful puppy that gets to play as much as she likes in our huge back garden. It doesn’t matter if there’s grass on the kitchen floor, or toys strewn across the living room, because she’s happy and her little furry face makes everything better.
Maybe I shouldn’t bemoan my recent blogging slump, or blame it on being exhausted after a long day at work. I’m tired because my job is challenging: it’s forcing me to grow and learn new things and accept a level of responsibility I haven’t had before. Plenty of people would grasp that kind of challenge with both hands.
Life can be good, or it can be bad, depending on how you look at it. There are plenty of amazing things in life, but it’s easy to be consumed by the mundane, by the things that wear you down day after day.
It’s easy to get caught in that way of thinking, where the good things lose their lustre.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective.
Jan says
Ah – thank you for this – as you say, it is hard to stop moaning sometimes, but if we take time to consider what we are actually moaning about…….you are so right! I will try to remember this next time I am feeling overwhelmed, annoyed, tired, etc etc.
Sophie Cliff says
I love this so so so much, and it was exactly what I needed to read today, so thank you xxx
CaptainKirt says
That’s a great attitude to take. I wish it was that easy to switch your thinking though. I’ve been trying recently to be a lot more positive, I used to be a positive person.