MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2023 - STAYING POSITIVE

 MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2023 STAYING POSITIVE

I was reading my Facebook feed from my cousin in Oregon. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is blowing into Washington and Oregon. The skies are cloudy, and there is poor air quality.

And, I read my weather forecast - still calling for hot weather into September. Other areas have had torrential rains and floods. I’ll go with the flow and blame it on “global warming” (why not, everybody else is).  

Last week, I wanted to scream - I wanted to have the loudest voice in the university and scream so loud because of the unending heat that windows would blow out. (Of course, I can’t scream that loud).

So, how do we control this?

Lipton Tea has this link:

https://www.lipton.com/eg/en/wellbeing/how-to-stay-positive-in-negative-situations/ 

HOW TO STAY POSITIVE IN NEGATIVE SITUATIONS

The article suggests writing a gratitude journal - with at least five things every day. Let’s see, today, I am happy for (1) keeping some of my plants alive all summer; I am happy that I have a (2) car and I can (3) afford gas and insurance; (4) I love God; (5) I love my family; and (6) I love having flush toilets. 

By focusing on positive things - I might forget that I’m ready to scream!!

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Surround yourself with positive things. It doesn’t take long for me to appreciate my apartment. I have great (hand-made) posters on the wall. I’m looking at my sign of Micah 6:8 - “Love Justice; Show Mercy; Be Humble; Love my neighbor; LOVE WINS.” That poster is beside my copy of Van Gogh’s Starry Night - such fluidity. I have positive friends and times.

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Rewire my brain to be positive. I’ve done this for years, but sometimes I slip backward. I remember the old character who always had bad luck in the comics, with a cloud and rain over his head. I know a friend who says that the “sky is always falling” and “nothing is good.”  It isn’t much fun hearing nothing but negative statements.  

I use the verse, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  In EVERYTHING, give thanks. I had a little meltdown this week over a minor, minor, minor issue. I had a tiny (two-hour) pity party, went for a walk, listened to some great music and a good book - and “boom” - the pity party was over!!

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Tell my judgmental thoughts to go away is another way to get over the heat and disappointments in life. Grumble, grumble, grumble. We have a never-ceasing voice saying, “Alas, woe is me,” and we need to get that out of our brain. I’m listening to a C.S. Lewis book - “Out of the Silent Planet,” about three people from Earth going to Mars (of course, from years ago when nobody traveled through space.)  I read it years ago and had forgotten the details, but it does conquer those judgmental thoughts. I’ve also added a symphony to my Upbeat Classics - Bruckner’s Romantic Symphony (#4). That and my other music help to overcome the problems with heat, weather, economy, politics, or whatever!!!

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Another suggestion is to accept it and live with it. I can’t change the weather - so live with it. If I had a dollar for every time, somebody said, “It is hot,” I might have ten or twenty dollars!! <grin>

If I can change it - do so; if I can’t change it, learn to accept and live with it. I have a friend who is into politics and has FOMO - Fear of Missing Out. She wants the political shows. The reality (at least for me) is I can’t change it. I am NOT IN CHARGE. I have no involvement with the former President being in court or the current President’s son being in trouble. Turn off the TV; change to a sports channel (and watch a preseason football game!!!)

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I need to practice self-care. I need to watch what I eat, how much I sleep, how much fluids I drink, how much exercise I get. When you live alone, I don’t have another person telling me I must remove the dirty dishes from the sink. (And I need to practice self-care at the grocery store - I didn’t need to buy a carton of ice cream yesterday!!!)

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The article suggests doing good for others. I like my part-time job as it lets me interact and brighten the lives of seniors. Yes, I sometimes tell corny jokes, and I laugh a lot.  

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Finally, do more of what you love to do. Listen to music, do a jigsaw puzzle, play a computer game, and even write a story. Do what you like to block out those negative thoughts of hot, miserable days.  

Let’s be positive!! Let’s find ways to put the fires, floods, hot weather, economy, and politics behind us. Push ahead. The past is over and done - don’t live there. “Gray skies are going to clear up; put on a happy face.”

LOVE ALWAYS WINS

LOVE TRANSFORM

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, AUGUST 28, 2023