So, 2010 was a humdinger of a year. Things didn't exactly turn out the way that I anticipated. Does it suck? Yeah. Will I persevere and carry one? Heck yeah.
I was recently talking with a good friend and it really made me think. He was saying that he is really hard on himself. I agree that most if us are harder on ourselves than we would ever allow our friends to be. These great conversations helped me to make a decision and come to a big realization. I have been wasting a large portion of my life feeling like a victim, like the world had it out for me, like no matter what I did I would never be happy. Well, I now say, to Heck with that! Being negative and feeling victimized just steals the joy away from you. I am not trying to say that the world is always sunshine, lollipops, and unicorns but it is better than we give it credit for...and so are we.
That is where the Positive Outlook Project (P.O.P) comes in. Everyday there is a reason for joy. It may just be a warm cup of tea or an uplifting quotation or a smile from a stranger. Many of us are taking those things for granted. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to take a few moments our of each day to share a thought, tell you where I am struggling, and actively be more positive.
Being positively influenced is a way to not be so down on myself. Right now, I am a little "anti-Weas" because I haven't been able to run as much since my IT band injury. Therefore, I am a little squisher than I prefer to be. I have been kicking myself in the butt for allowing that to happen. NO MORE! I can still run short distance, lift weights, use the stationary bike. I just need to stay focused and positive. If I treat myself properly now, I will be able to run normally again sooner than if I push it.
So Day 1's poitive outlook: The Glass is Half Full (at least)
It might not be the glass that we intended to have at this point in our lives. Maybe we expected a fancy goblet and we have a plain plastic tumbler. Perhaps we expected our glass to be in a lead-glass cupboard in a mansion and we are in a particle board shelving unit from Target in a shoe-box apartment. Oh well...the point is that we have a glass at all. We can choose to leave it empty and be be bitter that we are thirsty. If we are lucky, it is overflowing with love, good fortune, and promise. But even if it is only partly full, there is always something to cherish, something to look forward to, and something to be happy about. It doesn't have to be huge, it doesn't have to be life-changing, it just has to be.
