How often do I really take the time to focus my energies into identifying something positive about my day? It is so much easier to focus on the challenges and difficulties facing each day than to remain optimistic and maintain a positive outlook on life.
A few days ago, I broke my right foot. It was devastating. I'm not trying to be melodramatic or overly emotional about this experience-I was truly heartbroken. I go to school nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, therefore, I must climb hills constantly in order to attend classes and find food to eat. Therefore, with each day I must brace myself for excruciating pain in order to succeed as a student. The loss of the functioning of my right foot means that I am not able to drive for six weeks. I had so many hikes and excursions planned over the next few weeks, and instead, I will be extremely limited in my outdoor abilities.
After finding out that I would have to wear a walking boot for six weeks, and maintain several months of physical therapy, I displayed an entirely pessimistic attitude. I allowed my broken foot to consume my every waking thought, and refused to see the good in any situation. I allowed myself a few days of misery, only to discover that the negativity was getting me nowhere. I soon realized that having an ungrateful attitude about my circumstances would not change the fact my situation is what it is. Having a negative outlook only made me more unhappy, and made my friends uncomfortable.
So I decided to do an experiment-I would spend one day identifying every little piece of happiness that I could find. A single twenty-four hour day full of little triumphs and blessings. This changed everything. Immediately, I found that when I made a conscious effort to maintain positive thinking, finding the good in my unfortunate situation seemed feasible. In fact, my foot seemed to bring less pain and discomfort when my identity was not wrapped up in my uncomfortable circumstance. The day was full of so much joy, and identifying my blessings only highlighted my happiness.
My experiment taught me that I must not focus on my struggles. Instead, I must make a decided effort to uncover little moments of joy nestled at the heart of each day. My struggle (the broken foot) has taught me the most amazing lesson in the importance of optimism. Joy lies behind every discomfort, but in order to find this treasure, we must open ourselves to optimism. It would be so much easier to allow ourselves to overtaken by pessimism because life is oftentimes difficult. However, in the midst of immense pain, joy can always be obtained. Our amount of joyfulness is directly proportional to the amount of time we spend attempting to identify our blessings.
Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. Become open to the prospect of optimistic thinking, and learn to identify your own blessings. (Having trouble getting started? Just having access to this post means that you are fortunate enough to live in an area where technology is easily accessible...)
