Reframe a situation in a positive light.
Believe it or not, I tend to be a pessimist about certain things and I don’t handle change well. I’m not blatantly saying that I am a negative person, per se, I just view changes and some situations in my life differently than others (or maybe I’m not alone).
- PCSing. Yep, I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to PCSing.
- The first few months of graduate school. Nauseating. Please don’t remind me.
- The first few weeks of my new job. I was so reluctant to let myself like my new job because it had nothing to do with what I went to school for (and I still have some reservations).
- When things don’t go exactly as planned. Like when you’re really excited about baking your husband his favorite cake for his birthday and it ends up in a garbage bag three weeks later…
Cake Wreck |
This is going to sound strange, but I think I am reluctant to accept change because it is a fixed variable in our lives — things are constantly changing. Have you ever thought about the words “constantly changing” paired together like that? How can something that is changing be constant? I think that’s an oxymoron. If you haven’t noticed by now, change is a constant in our lives.
(So…does that make our lives an oxymoron…? Probably not.)
Changes like rearranging the furniture in a room is no problemo…I used rearrange my bedroom and my parents’ living room on a regular basis when I was a kid. I’m talking about bigger things. Life changing changes. That is, life as we currently know it.
That all being said, I think a little negativity is okay. It’s a perspective on a situation that should always be considered, but never one to dwell on. Reframe the situation in a positive light. When things aren’t going right, ask yourself, “Could it really be any worse?” Try to find at least one or two things to take from the situation that could benefit you.
I’m saying this like I do this all the time. I’m definitely not Positive Polly Pants (…really?). What I’m saying and what it comes down to, is that I really need to start listening to my own advice.
My motto:
“Expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised.”
For example, when the Viper Pilot tells me he’ll be home around 7 or 8, I plan on him being home around 9 or 10. He shows up at 7:45 and it’s the best thing that happens to me all day.
And that is something I need to do more often.