Going against the grain...

 

 

The most common response to these posts went along the following lines: 

 

How could we do this – and remain cheerful and positive – with all the bad things happening in the world? 

 

Ukraine. Gaza. The economic climate. And not forgetting all the little – and large (!) – madnesses / irritations we encounter every day… 

 

Or, on a more personal note, the loss of a loved one, redundancy, illness or money problems. And, so, the list goes on. 

 

Our response is always the same. 

 

Does focussing on all the negative things going on around us actually help those concerned, whether in our own lives or the wider world?  

 

The answer for both is the same. NO. 

 

Does it make our lives flow more easily? To be happy?  

 

Again, NO. 

 

Or help get the result we desire?  

 

An emphatic NO. 

 

So, the next question then has to be, why do we carry on doing it? 

 

If there isn’t any benefit to us – or the thing / person we’re concerned about – why do it? 

 

Again, the response is normally the same. 

 

SILENCE. 

 

Sometimes, stunned. 

 

Sometimes, contemplative, when the person concerned starts to see the world in a new light. 

 

Occasionally, angry or defensive with the comment that we don’t understand how it is for them… There is a lot we could say on this response (!) but our post about how it isn’t personal really says it all… 

 

Moving swiftly on (!). 

 

So, if this approach clearly isn’t working, why not do the opposite instead? 

 

Put our energy and focus on the outcome we’d like to see. Notice any positive things – however small – that are taking us in that direction. 

 

Yes, they may be tiny – and so easy to overlook – but are there IF we look for them. And then the magic starts… 

 

Once we notice one thing, it’s so much easier to see many more. 

 

And, best of all, we feel so much better and more in control. 

 

In that tired – and often over used cliché – it’s a win win situation for all concerned. 

 

If you’re still not sure about this rather radical approach, why not spend the rest of the day focussing on all the good things going on in your life and with the people and world around you? 

 

See if you can find the positive side in everything that happens today. However dark things may seem, there is always a glimmer of light. You have to just look for it.  

 

And, if you still need a little nudge in a more positive direction, here’s a quick reminder of just how fortunate we already are without realising it. 

 

It’s estimated that an income of £10,000 per year puts us in the top 12% of the world. 

 

Over £25,000 puts us in the top 1%. 

 

As always, the choice is yours.