Monday, May 12, 2014

Mindfully Make the Most of It Monday


Have you ever spent time around someone who wore cloud gray-colored glasses (the opposite of rose-colored glasses)?  You could be in a perfectly content and happy mood, and their constant negative comments begin to drain you until you are completely exhausted.  Or… have you been guilty of being that person that is draining those around you?

Trust me, I can be the queen diva of critical crabbiness.  I know when I’m being that way because I get sick of hearing myself talk and whine and complain.  I don’t even want to be around me.  Not all that long ago my dear best friend called me out on this (God bless her courageous loving heart that kicks my butt when I need it) – alerting me to the fact that I seemed to always have something negative to say.  I was really surprised, because I think of myself as generally being a bit south of sickening sweet positive Pollyanna.  Boy, was I wrong.  I had chosen to allow myself to put on the blinders to all that which was good and see only the "yuck" of things in my life.  So I’m not pointing fingers and judging here.  And I'm not talking about the occasion moods or down moments, either -- we all have those occasionally.  Nor am I addressing the seriousness of depression.  What I’m trying to highlight today is our need to be careful – mindfully weeding out the words and attitudes that drag you and those around you down like quicksand. 

Negatively litters your world (and everyone else’s, too).  Instead of looking at the beauty of the spring wisteria blooming alongside the road, you complain about a pothole or the driving of the person in front of you.  You grump about what you don’t have instead of everything around you (including people) that you do have in your life.  You get so self-focused on “all” that may be going wrong in your life that you forget to see the blessings and gifts you are surrounded by at every corner.  You spread your wet blanket over others and become the Eeyore that people will begin avoiding because your words and attitude are unintentionally pushing them away.  It’s unhealthy for you... and for those you love and love you.

I want you to take a moment to look around the room you are in, and notice everything red.  That’s right, take minute and intentionally focus on the red.  Now close your eyes.  Think about everything in the room that is… GREEN!  Yup, green.  Very simple lesson – what you focus on, give your time and attention and thought life and energy to… is what you remember and what affects you and what you see.  So stop your whining and complaining and grousing… and begin focusing on all you are and have and can be.  Stop driving away the people and beautiful moments in life and begin embracing all the many wonderful and positive things. Make it a practice each morning to think of three things for which you are grateful, and before you go to bed at night write down three blessings that happened in your life today, from the big things to a butterfly you may have seen to the fact that you have clean drinking water and a flushing toilet and eyes to read this blog posting!

The pity party is over my friend… close and lock the door on it, toss away the key, and begin celebrating your life... which is too short to spend it any other way!

Blessings,


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