A Whole New Outlook In An Instant

A Whole New Outlook In An Instant
By Eva Gregory

Ever meet someone who is always chipper, always has a kind word to say, can be sick in bed but still wears a smile. Why? What makes two people look at the same situation and observe two completely different things? Is it perception or something deeper?

Individuals who are happy and can always find the positive in a situation are masters of a skill that everyone should learn. They’ve mastered the art of flipping the switch on their perspective. They’ve learned that life is simply a perspective and just how good or bad it seems is dependent on their take on the situation. Literally that life can be changed in a snap. And that it’s necessary to turn down all of the negative talk that’s going on, and focus on the positive flip side that can be silenced by the sheer volume of the negativity. There’s always an opposite. The goal to having positive energy in life is to be able to recognize when negativity is surfacing and squash it like a bug.

It’s a lesson Gina learned just in time. Gina was in the midst of planning her wedding and was waging war with the wedding planner on yet another detail, when she noticed her groom laughing with one of the assistants. When Randy and the assistant spied Gina coming their way, they immediately stopped laughing. Gina was not having fun and could only focus on all of things still outstanding. Randy on the other hand was relaxed and relieved because he realized that hiring a wedding planner was the best use of their funds. While they still had to be consulted, they were not responsible for remembering every detail, organizing every vendor, and keeping track of the wedding schedule or the budget. Randy was enjoying his role in the planning process, but Gina was clearly flustered. On the way to dinner Gina blew up at Randy for not taking things seriously enough. Randy remarked that they were paying someone quite well in order for them not to have to stress so much about the “little stuff”, but Gina was fuming. Early the next morning Gina sat down with her planner and voiced her frustration. The planner remarked that Gina needed to look at the situation differently. She needed to focus on everything they had accomplished, instead of what was to come. In addition, she also remarked that Gina should appreciate that she did not have to0 worry about the details, because the details were her job and focus on the task of being the beautiful bride. Gina didn’t know how she’d done it, but her planner made her feel so much better. The planner didn’t know it but she had just made the wedding a lot less stressful for everyone involved. Gina was more relaxed, the planner had a much less hands-on bride, and Randy was able to go with the flow.

Like Gina found out, sometimes it takes help to switch a perspective, but whether it’s done on your own or with a little outside help, the outcome is well worth the effort. Sometimes it just takes a little practice, or you may even require a role model. So don’t be afraid to emulate someone who just seems to have a handle on optimistic, but keep the following joke in mind:

Worried that their son was too optimistic, the parents of a little boy took him to a psychiatrist. Trying to dampen the boy’s spirits, the psychiatrist showed him to a room piled high with nothing but horse manure. Yet, instead of displaying distaste, the little boy clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to all fours, and began digging.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the psychiatrist asked.

“With all this manure,” the little boy replied, beaming, “there must be a pony in here somewhere.”

Go on, get on out there and get ready to change the quality of your life in an instant. All if takes is a flip. And maybe a shovel?