Monday Musings on positive vs. negative

2020 has, so far, been the year of more ups and downs that I can remember in a very long time. It's easy to rattle off all of the downs ... hello pandemic that pulled the rug out from under all of us, an insanely stressful political situation, wildfires and hurricanes, career turmoil, isolation ... I could keep going but then I'd have to crawl back into bed and hide for the rest of the day. 

That brings me to the point of this post. I'm not, by nature, a bubbly personality. I'm quick to worry about anything that could go wrong; to overthink and stew about things said (or not said) and how I reacted (or didn't); and to give in to the temptation of curling up on the couch and crocheting until the world stops spinning so fast and loud around me.

Lately, though, I've been trying to find positivity in even the negative situations. A few months ago, I put this sticky note on my desk lamp as a reminder. And, every day, I write down one thing that was positive, that made me happy, that reminded me there's good out there. 

Some days, I struggle to find that happy moment. Honestly, there have been a few "happy" entries that were clearly a reach ... "finishing the crochet donkey," "snuggling with a purring cat for half an hour," "not losing my composure today." But you know what, those aren't insignificant even if they felt ridiculous to write at the time. And when I stop overthinking and poking at the doubts, I can appreciate the positive in each of those statements.

​Turning the negative situation into a less-negative feels like an accomplishment. Turning a less-negative one into a positive is a major win! And each win fuels me to keep going. 

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