Keeping a Positive Outlook

The weather here in Chicago was pretty bad the past few weeks, with snow coming down regularly. Because the accumulation was so consistent, when leaving the house, day-to-day was hit or miss whether we would be able to get out of the parking lot situated at the back of our townhouse. This situation was more than a little frustrating, to say the least, which caused me enormous amounts of anxiety when the time came to run simple errands such as appointments to the doctor. Driving and parking can cause me anxiety, particularly in the snow and on one of the occasions, I will be honest with you, I was very disappointed when my car got stuck in the snow and I was not able to go to my appointment. However, with some reflecting and thinking on the situation, I realized that perhaps I wasn’t supposed to go to the appointment after all and was thankful that I had gotten stuck. And the next time, I was stuck, I was able to stay calm and refocus my thoughts and remain positive.

However, the snow has begun to thaw and there are only a few patches of snow left around our neighborhood.  And I’m pretty sure there is still a long way off before spring is here; I take this as a good sign. The thawing out of the snow reminded me how life is sometimes. There are various seasons in life, and in some of those times, it feels as though things won’t ever change, that you are in the midst of a more wintry season than spring. It can be a challenge, but it is at those times that we need to try to remember that even the most challenging of times that there will be a thawing (a change) of sorts at some point and to hold onto the positives of life.

When experiencing challenges, take a moment to look around you and find something positive in your life, right at that moment. It can be something as simple as the sun is shining when yesterday, the snow was coming down hard. Or finding enjoyment in watching your toddler play on the floor, enjoying that moment because children do grow up quicker than you think. Or that you had enough money for a cup of cappuccino from your favorite coffee house.

The more time you take to look at the positives in life, the less likely your circumstances will cause you to lose your joy.

Thank you for taking the time out to read this.