Thanks for the bad things?
Yes, I know there are a few intrinsic “bad” things! And there are circumstances that we choose to label “bad.” Like the car insurance going up, or a really awful hair day. And there are some clouds that don’t seem to have any silver linings, like illness or bankrupcy, though they later turn out to have some important lessons for us.
So let’s change the word “bad” to “challenging.” This shifts our mental state to one in which we are not defeated, but inspired. Like a health challenge that leads to a new appreciation of our life!
So we could give thanks for the sometimes overwhelming headlines in the news. They can inspire us to know more about others and to take positive action to do what we can to make the world a better place.
We could give thanks for the people in our lives who don’t like us or what we do. We can learn valuable lessons from them about ourselves and how to understand better why we do what we do, as well as why they might feel the way they do.
We could give thanks to rough times with our partners, family members, co-workers. Through these times we can learn how to love more fully (and even to forgive!)
We could give thanks for all the tiny day-to-day aggravations. They can teach us skills for coping and for being a good person (even when we don’t feel like it).
And if you are feeling more like your glass is half empty rather than half full, you could be grateful you have a glass and be grateful that you are able to handle it!
1 Comment
Great post! Thank you! I really like the quote attributed to Steve Rizzo. I wish I had thought of that!