John Lennon was stating the obvious when he said "Life is what happens to us when we are busy making other plans." Life happens whether we are ready or not. And not everything that comes our way is gonna make us happy. Let's face it, sometimes the things that happen to us really suck. But every life experience is an opportunity to learn. Learn about ourselves, about others, about the world and hopefully those lessons, if carefully cultivated, allow us to become the best person we can be.
I believe that every life experience that comes our way, every bump in the road, every blimp on the radar, every hurdle, every rise and every fall or blazed trail, every hit or miss; all of it shapes us. All serves to enrich us. But so often when bad things happen, we are so busy focused on the calamity of the situation that we can't see the good. Bad things happen. Each of us are burdened by sorrows and tragedies. We who live, suffer. We lose loved ones and sometimes even ourselves. Pain etches its name upon our soul. Hearts can be irrevocably broken. Our minds can falter and decay. Anger can stifle the beauty of who we are. And we can let those wounds fester and infect until what once could have been an opportunity for growth and beauty becomes an ugly scar upon our own humanity.
I've been thinking a lot about attitude lately. I don't always have the best attitude. I can be surly and rude. I can be condescending and obnoxious. To put it bluntly; I can be a real bitch. But I take some comfort in knowing that this applies to everyone else in existence too. I'm not alone in my wretchedness!
We can often let our attitude be the focus of our corresponding behavior. I HATE working on beautiful days because it sucks to be stuck in doors. Miss Sucky will bemoan the fact. She resents being tethered to a desk and telephone cord and glued to a computer screen. This can make for a grumpy Sally - and that ain't a good thing for anybody! Miss Awesome, however, appreciates that she at least has a window from which to gaze upon a day full of blue shies and sunshine. She appreciates that she has a job which provides her an income and therefore a home she loves and a lifestyle that she can enjoy. I am blessed.
Sometimes it is hard for us to recognize our blessings. Sometimes, we feel like we have to go searching for them. Yet most of the time they are right there in front of us, if we would but choose to see them. It's time to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. This doesn't mean that i can't have moments where I am Miss Sucky- but it should mean those moments become fewer and shorter! It's time to focus on all that is right and good and wonderful in my life, rather than invest energy in what is not. Life can get in the way of recognizing all our good. We can get in the way of recognizing all our good. So the lesson I am trying to learn and retain is to cultivate an attitude that celebrates my good. To grow an attitude that honors my successes and my struggles. I want to embrace my life - all of it. I want to recognize that even when I feel down and out, even when I feel lost and low, that that is still a chance to rejoice in this amazing gift that I have been given.
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