Times Are Tough

Some of us handle stress better than others. According to the experts you can learn to be more resilient. I believe that is a worthy goal for me in these tough times, so this is my next quest. I am going to explore, learn and make changes to be more resilient. I am on shaky ground and I don’t like the feeling. The only one who can fix it is me, so today the resilience journey begins.

According to experts, resilience is tied to optimism. While that makes sense I have to recognize that it is tough to be optimistic when things look so dismal and hopeless. Clearly I need to dig in and learn about the steps to becoming a more optimistic person. According to Roy Huff, “Optimism is achievable in three simple steps. Ignore any one of them, and you doom yourself to a mundane life. Complete all three and you’ll achieve greatness.”

I kind of perked up. If there are only three things, certainly I can do that. So I forged ahead.

The first of the three items is forgiveness. There was a time in my life that I understood forgiveness. I knew that forgiveness was not about the one you are forgiving, it is about the way you choose to deal with your own feelings and emotions. You don’t even have to inform someone that you have chosen to forgive them. It’s not a gift you give to them, it’s a gift and way of life you give yourself. We become what we think about. Think about forgiveness as an automatic response to negativity and hate.

Well, that sounds good. How do I make that a reality in my life? 

The first step that I am working on is my immediate reactions. When something happens that is unpleasant I have total control over how to react to it. I just need to learn to exercise that control. No muscles stay strong unless they are used often in the right manner. My reaction muscles need a workout.

For the next 24 hours with everything I do and every encounter I have, I am going to focus on my reaction and instant forgiveness. And so my day begins.

©tshlimit