Half-Full/Half-Empty

Often when I'm feeling discouraged about work or family or life, I have to really work to refocus and find the good.  To maintain a positive outlook takes work!  Truthfully, sometimes I'd like to join Negative Nancy and Debbie Downer and whine and complain about life, but when I am feeling blah, everyone is up my butt asking "what's wrong?" or "why are you so quiet today?"  So, I usually snap out of it pretty quickly:)  I'm just not programmed to function that way.  I like to find the good in each day; search for the rainbow during the rain instead of waiting for the sun to come back and magically create the rainbow.

Last year I did 30 days of thankful during the month of November.  A facebook friend was doing it so I thought I'd join...I LOVED it! If you're looking for a little motivation, you should try it!  It is an easy way to concentrate on something good each day.  I have been practicing the past couple Mondays...with posts like: *Month old red headed boys that love "Aunt" Laura and not "Aunt" Ash *Basement full of wonderful items donated to find a cure! *Dads that carve pumpkins after little sleep and working all day *Costume parties with friends *Fun pictures of the weekend on friends pages *Finding out who the mystery friend is:) *Excitement for my cousins blog launch *Performances at the nursing home *And Yay, I get to see Jess tonight:) 

Rather than get frustrated that I can't get the freaking bill to upload, I think of something that I'm thankful for and I feel better about the ERROR message...for the 1500000th time!  I try to laugh at myself. Today I thought, if Grant or Adam were here, they'd get this stupid thing to work the first time.  Why can't I understand technology the way they do?  And laughed at myself and my severe lack of computer skills...it's probably because I'm Amish;) Or instead of taking offense to my friends calling me Amish for reasons like my phone is ancient, or because we didn't have cable for the first 5 years of marraige, or because Aaron doesn't believe in heating our house and if I do want it to be warm we must build a fire to warm our house, I embrace it.  I don't know what else to do, but laugh at the jokes! 

I think laughing at yourself is a HUGE key to looking at the glass half-full!  If you take yourself seriously all of the time you're going to be quick to point out your shortcomings and imperfections.   I know when I am insecure, I convince myself that other people are noticing whatever my shortcoming is.  I am so focused on whatever it is that I think everyone else must be too!  Even though they probably aren't! Once you get over the insecurity and laugh at the imperfections, the bad feelings and negative emotions attached to the insecurity lose their power.  I am still working on some insecurities, but admitting them and laughing at them takes power away from them!  Nobody is perfect! Embrace your imperfections, laugh at them if you can!

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."

We are leaving for a quick vacation today, so before I went to bed I was writing this quick little post for Friday Fun, but I think some of my friends can use the perspective talk today, so I'm hoping to get a guest blogger for Friday Fun. Anyways, I scrolled through Facebook and the glass started to look half-full; I was having a hard time seeing anything but rain.  I discovered a little boy from Woodville, who I do not even know, was diagnosed with ALL-a cancer of the blood: Connor.  This made me think of Isabelle.  Then I thought about a friends friend that lost her baby last week and my friends in the hospital waiting anxiously to hear results and pull tubes and get out.  I prayed for them and cried for them.

Picture by Grant Cummings

I woke up this morning and put on my pearls in memory of and in honor of. I woke up today ready to chase a rainbow.  I poured out the glass of water on my night stand and refilled it with fresh, new water.  Now the glass is full!  If you need to pour the water out and start over, go for it...as many times as you need to each day!  Each moment offers a new chance to change your perspective!  Laugh at yourself, throw out the insecurities, pray for your loved ones and even strangers. Join me in the 30 days of thanks!  Chase the rainbow instead of waiting for it to magically appear! Find the beauty and share it with people that could use it.

Picture by Julie Hirt Overmyer



Day One of Thirty: Thankful to be surrounded by people who are supportive, loving, and kind. Remembering that I when I needed an army of support, everyone was there. Quite a few people in our community need us to rally in their support now. I am thankful and honored to stand at their side. Lend your good thoughts and support if you can and be thankful for each new day. November is lung cancer awareness month. Pearl is the color to support this cause. Wear your pearls!