Channel your Inner Optimist

This time of year comes with a lot of pressure and stress. Don’t worry; I feel it too. Some days, the stress starts as soon as I wake, with the first realization of my to-do list for the day.

We all know those days that don’t go exactly as planned, when you slap on that ‘bad day’ sticker of warning. Thing is, your reaction and mood sets the tone for the day, which can snowball into bigger problems and more struggles.

Instead, this is the time to channel your inner optimist and try to be positive about your life and your situation, despite how difficult it may seem.

Just last month I faced one of these ‘bad days’. After a long day of travelling, my flights were delayed. This caused me to miss an appointment and almost miss an important activity with my kids. I was incredibly tired and longed more than anything to click my heels and transport home to the comfort of my own bed. I sat warily at the terminal gate, somber and pretty much hating the world.

A lady sat down beside me and we started chatting about the delays, weather, our trips and then she asked how the delay affected me. So, I started talking about the inconvenience of it all then reversed the conversation with a, ‘how about you?‘.

Turns out, she was flying to another city where her son was in the hospital. Without going into details about his situation, I’ll just say it was really grim. Of course in telling me the story, the lady became emotional and I could see just how distraught she was over the delay while also being so anxious about getting to him.

There it is.

Reality check.

This might be an extreme example of an embarrassing foot-in-mouth disease, yet it only goes to prove how being positive could have totally changed MY viewpoint.

Someone I loved wasn’t ill, myself nor anyone else was in danger. My situation actually wasn’t as bad as I perceived it to be. Looking back, it was really so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, yet I let it take me over and ruin my mood and cause me more stress (and complain to others needlessly). The shame!

Fact: Stress comes in many forms. You forget to sign that permission slip, misplaced items, an unexpected bill in the mail, running late etc etc.

What I learned and my tip to you:

The next time you are stressed, step back and re-evaluate the situation before it consumes you. Take a deep breath. Accept that moment for what it is, know that this too shall pass (it’s such a powerful statement), and think of all that you have and are grateful for.

I’m glad I had a flight home, delayed or not. I may miss my kids’ performance, but I can get a video from someone. I have healthy kids. This house is a disaster but I have a home. I met a very nice lady on that flight, due to the delay, and I’ll never forget her.

As soon as you channel your inner optimist and think positively with much gratitude in your heart, stress will decrease. If you don’t like something, take some steps to change it. Simply the act of wanting to make things better, makes you feel happier. Again, it’s that power of positive thinking.

You’ll still have bad days and life will always throw curveballs, which are aimed right at your head. It’s all in your reaction. Duck, or put some ice on the bruise and move on. Your attitude and reaction is what counts, try taking that positive approach!

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Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Silk® via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the
author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Silk®.