Hard times hit us all, at one point or another. Getting lost in how deprived I am will cause me to lose focus on what really matters. Does this happen to you? I believe that it's my choice to either wallow in pity or find a way to manage a situation. When I am faced with difficulties, small or large, I tell myself that I will find a reasonable solution because I am smart and capable.
Our highly-commercialistic culture really doesn't support an individual's ingenuity in dealing with minor adversity. You got a problem? Great, we have just the solution for only $99.95. From the outside looking in, you would think that solutions are only a matter of throwing money at a problem. The drawback to this line of thinking is that after the new XYZ has been purchased, one still lacks emotional resilience to adversity, you know, that thing inside that tells us we can handle the bad stuff. However, it doesn't need to be this way.
When I'm feeling deprived because I don't have the latest fashion, smartphone, or restaurant meal, I remind myself of what we are doing. For example, we are being "smart" to save for our future. When I hear the voice in my head telling me, "I sure wish I could grab a coffee at Top Pot when I go for my morning walk," I change the inner dialogue to "isn't it clever of me to fix a thermos of coffee to take to the beach." When the zipper has pulled away from the strip of fabric on my favorite jacket, at first I whine, "why now when I have so much to do?" After that initial moment, I try to quickly change my outlook to something like this: "I am capable. I am blessed with sewing skills so I can repair my favorite jacket and enjoy it for many more years."
"I tell myself that I will find a reasonable solution because I am smart and capable."
But how does one leave the wallowing behind -- it can be such a nasty habit, don't you think? I haven't always been able to see my blessings. This simply did not come naturally to me. I have found that learning to shift my thoughts from the negative to the positive is a skill that requires practice. I have to remind myself, daily, to try and see situations differently. To help this along, I try to surround myself with positive-minded people. I also make time each morning to consider my blessings. It's hard work but well worth the trouble. Training my brain to see the upside of my circumstances allows more thought-time to go toward the pleasant happenings in my life.
Making this mind-shift is a part of gratitude and seeing the glass as half-full. When we can find the thing for which we are grateful in a difficult situation, our gratitude frees us to approach life with joy and a sense of abundance, despite apparent lack. My favorite jacket is my favorite for a good reason. It fits like no other jacket I've owned. When I focus on how it always needs repairs, all I see is the fault. But when I shift my thinking to gratitude for the skills to repair it, I see how much I love that old thing.
Maybe you have a "jacket" that constantly needs repairs. Maybe your "jacket" is a favorite old chair, sweater, or cookbook. We're "smart" to take care of our belongings instead of rushing out to replace them when they show their age. Not only do we get to enjoy cherished belongings for more years, but the money saved can be put toward important goals.
My mantra -- I am smart. I am capable. I am blessed with skills and abilities. What I am not, is deprived. Because I can see this, the hurdles of life are not unduly burdensome. Instead, the shift in thinking is empowering, as I no longer feel that I am the victim of a bad circumstance.
I'm still a work in progress. How about you? Do you tend to see the glass half-empty or half-full? What situations have you been able to see in a more positive light?
