“why me” vs “try me”
- does one ask “why me?” when faced with obstacles
- what if ones thinks “try me” instead and charges head on to meet and work through obstacles
- chances are life’s obstacles won’t seem that huge and one is more focused on other more important things rather than the small bumps
My thoughts about this are that it is relatively easy to take on the role of a victim in life. Several years ago my god-brother commented that my instinctive response to things was “no” and I tended to look at a glass half empty. Disappointments and set-backs faced then seem to have affected me more than the joys around me and all the wonderful things I had done. Focusing too much on problems and the half empty parts of my life, I moved from contentment to a place of self-pity blaming everything and wishing for things to get better.
The first step to getting out of that place was to make a decision that I wanted to change. The next step was figuring out how.
The solution I chose was to recondition myself. I read it takes the same amount of energy to be happy as it does to be unhappy. It’s mostly a matter of habit and habits can be changed. Being more positive, patient and looking at a glass half full makes a difference in making it easier to get out of bed and look forward to things that come along, good or bad. So that’s what I’ve learnt to do … be positive.
What comes to my mind when I hit a bump or a rough patch? A reminder to myself that with hard-work and determination I can overcome this, especially after all the amazing things I’ve done in my 39 years. If I could move mountains previously when I was 22, I can move even bigger mountains now.
“going through life” vs “growing through life”
- going through life like it’s sentence you have to live out not opening your eyes or yourself to all the interesting and wonderful things out there
- growing through life by taking in things, meeting people, learning new things, trying new things and embracing the ever-changing world
The one thing I remember in my late 20s was how packed my life was and how I managed to juggle work, leisure, my passion for theatre and dance as well as a boyfriend, 2 cats and family.
I decided to slow it down when I hit my mid-30s thinking I’d done a lot and it was time for a break. Taking time out for myself led to periods of lazing around and a state of inertia. Result was that it seemed easier to decline new experiences leading to my comfort zone shrinking bit by bit till I was rather hermitish. Going through life is a very apt way of describing that period as each day seemed longer and the passing of time harder. Sleep was a wonderful means of escape.
I blogged about how its hard to get out of a state of inertia but reconditioning myself led to me crawling out of my comfort zone and trying new things. Now that I’m back to packing my days and nights, I’m feeling more energetic and eager about what each week and each new experience brings. I realise now it’s not about slowing down to enjoy life but to keep doing things to enjoy life.
I hope to continue this growing and enjoying of life into my greying years. I wanna be one of those cool old uncles who has a twinkle in his eye, who is able to adopt and use new technologies easily, who never shies away from new experiences and who has a treasure trove of stories to share.
So how do you look at life and what kind of old person do you want to be?
