It isn’t easy being positive all the time. I know some of you I follow seem like you are. I am most of the time. But it does take work to force yourself to look for the good in life’s problems, or good results even in tragedy. Most times I can look at something frustrating and find some humor in it. It’s there, you just have to have that attitude.
I’ve been in a situation lately that has been on my mind, and tried to think about it in a positive manner. Still reading? Yes, you hear all about that advice from some of us. It’s like the old song, “Look on the Sunny Side of Life”. Old, but still good advice. So you naysayers out there who are about ready to throw your computer, tablet, or phone across the room….I believe it. Today I felt just like that. Danny at dreambigdreamoften.co asked today if you ever feel envious. I suppose that’s a sin in some people’s eyes, but it’s only a part of the human personality. Be honest with yourself. I’m sure at least once in your life you have been envious. I was envious today about something that doesn’t matter a bit in the long run. I got upset for a while, then turned here to write about it. Not everyone solves their problems by writing them out, but it works well for me.
Why is it difficult to always look for the half full part of the glass? Some reasons could be, no money, no food, no decent place to live, no job, no insurance, health issues, sick relatives, or a real biggie, no love of your life. That’s the topper for me. You may think that because I’ve had a full rewarding life, that I should be satisfied to sit in the proverbial rocking chair and enjoy my family. I should. Problem is, it’s not enough. When it comes right down to the nitty gritty, everyone needs that other person. Family and friends are great and nice, and I’m thankful to have them, but they all go home to their lives and you are alone.
There’s a young blogger here that I follow who has health issues and as any of you who’ve had health issues or a death in the family, know, people are there for a while, they mean well, but they really don’t know what to do. Not until they go through the same experiences, they have no idea. They leave, and may think you’re fine because you don’t complain to them, and may even forget about it. I had a cousin who lived fairly close and saw my health decline. When I started the blog to discuss my health, she wrote, I knew but I didn’t know. Huh? Your mind and yourself are what you’re left with. For most things just like this young man, we have no idea what he really goes through. I guess the bottom line is what lostpropertyrepository.com said, just ask, “are you okay?” And that is hard to do. You have to really look at them and ask, because their automatic response will be yes, or sure. Appearances are deceiving. You can’t be casual about it. You have to sincerely want to know and listen to their answer.
When I volunteer at the Veterans Hospital, I sometimes talk with the people waiting for appointments. When I don’t have a particular job to do, I go down the halls. If I see a person again, still waiting, I stop and ask them how they’re doing. Of course some people don’t, won’t, or can’t talk to you. But that’s okay. Last time I went, I rolled down to the social hall which happened to be empty except for this one older man with a broken leg on an extension, so getting around was difficult. I introduced myself and asked how he was, etc, and if he needed help. He muttered hello and just looked down. I didn’t want to bother him, but gave it another try. He awkwardly rolled up to the table with a huge jigsaw puzzle. I asked, “do you like doing puzzles”? No answer. So I said something like, “okay, have fun with it, I’ll see you next time”, and left. Going down another hall, I found a man in a patient room who was there an hour before. I rolled by the doorway and asked if he had seen the doctor yet. That started a conversation and we chatted till the doc came. No one likes waiting for doctors in those rooms and this man was obviously in pain. I hope I helped him pass the time. This type of interaction was good for both of us. He was less bored, forgot about the pain for a while, and I enjoyed listening to him.
My point in writing this is, everyone needs someone, needs help at times, has lonely moments, and the best remedy for any of it, to me, is to find the positive way to handle it. And if you are okay yourself, give your attention, or voice, or physical presence to someone who needs it. I would add have some G rated jokes handy, but not everyone appreciates humor, especially told by a woman. See that, GC? 😉
Veterans are special to me because they put their whole life on hold and in danger for the rest of us. If they come home broken in some way, they need to know we appreciate their sacrifice. I can’t imagine thinking you’ve lost your “worthiness” and sitting in a hospital by yourself. I say that because that’s the attitude of some men and women who come home different than how they left, full of courage and determination. They need help to get that back.
Okay, enough of my “mom knows best” attitude. If you’re still reading, thank you.
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