Speaking Positivity Into Existence

Ever met a person who was entirely too honest when you asked them how they were doing?

Oh you know, just tired, as always. My kids were crazy this morning, this weather is disgusting and I have a million things to do when I get off work today. But you know, other than that, I'm alright, I guess.

Recently, I have come across so many people like this, and honestly...it's a huge turn off. 

If you are one of these people, I am so sorry if I hit you in the feels, but really, please staaaahhhp! Even if you feel like your life is truly awful, don't make it worse by breathing life into it. 

I actually understand people like this because, for a brief time, I was one of them (*gasp*). It wasn't until someone called me out on it that I even noticed it was something I did. My boyfriend's cousin greeted me one day by saying that he wasn't going to ask me how I was doing because he already knew what my answer would be. "You're always tired," he said. 

The shame that I felt can't even be put into words. Me, the woman who rolls her eyes at the perpetual complainers, had gone and morphed into a full on Debbie Downer. The horror! It wasn't intentional. I just figured that if someone was going to ask me how I was doing, the least I could do was tell them the truth. The issue was that the more I talked about how tired I was, the more exhaustion consumed me. 

Enter the power of positivity. 

Changing your perspective won't be enough if you blurt out all of your worries to any poor soul who dares to ask you how things are going. Our thoughts become our words and our words become our reality. In addition to writing out things that I had to be grateful for, I started responding to people's inquiries about my life with that same focus. Instead of, "I'm tired," I would say, "I'm healthy." Instead of "Work is so stressful," I would say, "My job keeps me busy." It wasn't a magic pill or anything, but the more I practiced it, the easier it became, and eventually, I didn't feel as tired or stressed out because I wasn't focused on those side effects of my very busy life. 

Don't get me wrong, every now and then I do need to vent, but usually I do it through journaling, or if that doesn't cut it, a couple of glasses of wine with a girlfriend willing to listen. I get it out of my system and then I don't think about it anymore, because the temptation to trip down the rabbit hole is too great. Misery loves company, and nowadays there are enough people walking around complaining, the world really doesn't need anymore. 

Once I really embraced the fact that I get to choose how I see my life, I stopped wasting time choosing to be anything other than at peace.