Positive or negative?
I have a tendency to focus more on the negative than the positive in my life. When I realized this I started to note how common it is for all of us. I’m constantly looking in my life at how things can be better which isn’t a bad thing but it can become unbalanced. I guess if you think about it…I’m doing it right now with this blog! (Let’s just pretend I didn’t point that out.)
Lately, I’ve been teaching myself to notice the good things, the places where I’m improving or I’m doing well instead of focusing on the areas where I feel I’m failing. It means in others I’m focusing on their good traits and assuming the best of people’s intentions. This isn’t always easy. My knee jerk reaction is mostly to read into things.
On this journey I’ve become aware of how natural it is for us to constantly think about where we need inner healing and what we are missing. If you’re a part of a religious institution then this is so common you might not even recognize it anymore when it happens. We are constantly thinking about where we need to go we don’t celebrate how far we’ve come.
It’s good to be self aware but is it possible for me to also live a life where I can continually celebrate success and areas of strength? Can I celebrate myself when no one else does? Can I celebrate others who may feel overlooked or ignored? I really want to believe that on the side of resting, trusting, being happy and grateful for the regular things, that it will open up new levels of contentment in my life. Not the contentment that is just a type of settling but the contentment that is truly being grateful for everything that I have the privilege to experience. Because it is a privilege, and I don’t want to miss any of it!
Take some time this week and think about where your focus is and actively try to focus on celebrating yourself and others!
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