I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for ‘happily ever after’ stories. They always give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Are they possible? Does happily ever after even exist? Don’t you want to believe in ‘happily ever after’? How do you know when happily ever after occurs? WHERE is happily ever after!!! I’m not entirely being facetious with those questions. They aren’t frivolous.
I do believe that ‘happily…’ is a mindset first, before it can be a fact. Think for a moment about what brings you joy and happiness. Is it a person? ‘thing’? condition? Then… why? Why does it bring you joy? Is it because stress is reduced? You are engaged in those activities that always brighten your outlook? What and Who is in your time of ‘happily’? We all have these times and places and people – but sometimes we forget and need to remind ourselves.
Happily ever after may not be a permanent state… at least in this world. But it can be yours. It is your attitude, thus your choice. Even in the midst of ‘trying times’ you can approach the problems and issues with a mindset that isn’t negative. ‘Happily…’ is not a pie in the sky or rose colored glasses, it doesn’t deny reality but it is a different mindset, a glass half full, silver lining mindset. This approach provides far more opportunities for creative responses to those problems and issues.
How can you develop this kind of approach? Stop looking at problems in the same way you always look at problems (remember the quote attributed to Einstein). Focus instead on the potential positive aspects of the problems. There aren’t any? I do doubt that but if you can’t see any then look at the potential options to resolution. The more options you can develop then the more opportunities for looking at the situation more positively. Remember a ‘cut your losses’ decision is not necessarily a negative – it depends on how you look at it.
… but what do you think?
