I be grumpy this morning. It’s one of those days when the whole world seems prickly; seems like everyone I encounter is a bit sharp and sensitive – me especially. It’s like wandering my way through a huge old, rocky patch of prickly pear cactus – desperately uncomfortable and a bit scary! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
|
Several years ago, my mastermind friend, Grace, a high energy, very successful and feisty business woman, referred to her business reputation as “an asset and albatross.’ And, her tone implied, that was not a good thing. I, drawing on my ancient and flawed high school study of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, had this vague and I now believe, inaccurate impression that she meant she had a reputation for bringing “bad luck and trouble” – that she was an albatross around THEIR necks. And puzzled, I tried to figure out how she could be so successful with such a negative perspective about her reputation. Especially since Martin Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology tells us that how we habitually explain our life events affects how we respond to adversities. Do cheerful people make you crazy? My neighbor, Janice was born cheerful. Like everyone else she has bad days, but overall she’s a cheerful person. She comes by it naturally. Her mother, Joy, is a naturally cheerful person too. They’re not necessarily conscious of it, but when faced with adversity, these two explore the possibilities and execute a plan. They know that not everything can be fixed and they also know that expecting a positive outcome helps them create a positive outcome. OK – so you’re worried. Your last effort didn’t work out the way you’d hoped. You’re back to square one. Now what??? This last of five optimistic approaches to unfuddling your brain will help you figure it out. Martha Beck, Life Coach advises: If you make the wrong choice – Try Som’n Else. When you’re beset by too many “what ifs” in your life, Try Som’n Else. Right now, (or later if you must) take pen and paper, find a comfy, quiet place to sit and write, perhaps put some upbeat music on your i-Pod and start brainstorming as many “som’n else” ideas as you can think of. And remember, the secret to brainstorming is to write down EVERYTHING… even the bad ideas. Continue reading » What Next? – Part Five – Try Som’n ElseOriginally posted on May 25th, 2009 Have you noticed how people are much more interested in finding ways to cope than they used to be? There seems to be a public acknowledgement that times are tough. As a culture, we all are more aware of the troubles of our “neighbors.” Part of this is the 24-hour news cycle which must be fed constantly, so there are more stories about the effects of the economic crisis, swine flu, etc. Part of it is that we are more in contact with people all over the country thru email, Skype, Facebook, etc, than we ever were before. We “know” more people and their stories. At Book Club last night I heard about a family in Michigan. One of our Book Club members mentioned that she was talking to a software support person, someone she works with regularly. He told her that his wife and her family members (father, brothers, sisters) had ALL been laid off from one of the Big Three automakers. With only him still working, their family’s unemployment rate was about 80%. Continue reading » Why Resilience? |
 Take a short break and consider the following: “It’s been a prickly relationship over the years because we know all too well how to get each other’s goat, but we’ve developed a very easy partnership.” Sean Patterson 
     |
 |
|
Posting Policy — Privacy Policy — Terms of Use — Disclosures |
||
Continued from Part 4
Posts
Comments
Recent Comments