We believe that we in our modern lives are under a lot of stress. Is that really true?
I was at a restaurant a few days ago when the waiter told us how an earlier customer had stressed him out (so much so that he had hopelessly bungled our order). I pointed out to him that this person was obviously in a very crappy state of mind but whereas the waiter only interacted with him for about 45 minutes, the customer had to live with himself for the rest of the day.
There are people that always see the glass half-full; other see it always half-empty. They both choose how they want to evaluate the same situation and walk away with different conclusions. I realize that there are circumstances when it is difficult to see the positive but they are rare. Most situations where we choose to get upset are trivial; I feel that only then do we hand power over to somebody else when they succeed in making us feel bad.
I believe that it is possible to practice to see the glass half-full. It is also possible to decide not to look at certain glasses at all.
I try to do as I say. I know that there are things I cannot change that upset me. I try not to expose myself to those, hence I watch TV rather little. It’s not sticking my head in the sand. My getting upset does not help anybody, my maintaining my positive frame of mind may impact those around me to adopt a more positive attitude themselves. And – who knows – that way I may be able to change the world after all.
Will you help me?
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