Let’s face it, life isn’t always straightforward and calm. In fact, it almost never is. As humans we tend to get all bent out of shape when things don’t go our way. That’s just the way we are, collectively, as a species. Most of us have heard the phrase “roll with the punches,” but we don’t really understand how to do it. A prior friend/coworker-turned-boss once tied it up for me in a neat little package. I had gone into his office one day, completely stressed out, frustrated over work, and practically at my wits end. He looked me straight in the eyes and said “You know, there’s a lot of power in not giving a <censored>.” Of course, at the time I didn’t get it. It took me a few years to actually understand what he meant.
So how, exactly, are you supposed to “not give a <censored>” about things in life? After I finally figured it out, I realized that he wasn’t actually saying to not care about your job, your family, your friends, your life, etc. Rather, he was saying that some things don’t matter as much as you may think they do. That guy that cut you off in traffic? Don’t let it ruin the rest of your day. Maybe he was in a hurry because of a family emergency… maybe not. But either way, once the immediate situation has passed… what good will staying upset do you? It won’t. There’s a lot of power in not giving a <censored>. How about the lady in front of you at the grocery store who talked down to you because you could only afford generic pasta? Who cares? There’s a lot of power in not giving a <censored>.
That brings me to my next point. No matter what is going on in your life. No matter what obstacle appear and try to derail you, there’s always room for thankfulness and gratitude. The things you’re grateful for doesn’t even need to be huge. In fact, there are probably many small things that you’ve never really even thought about that should give you pause to think and be thankful. The point is to find these small things and realize that, no matter what happens, your life isn’t as bad as it may seem.
There are many things that I’m grateful for, though I don’t often stop to realize the things that have made a positive impact on my life. Things like:
- Having one foster family out of many that actually cared
- Having a wife that loves and cares for me (enough to sleep on a hospital windowsill for a week at Thanksgiving while I recover from heart surgery)
- Having a life worth living (even if sometimes I get in a rut and don’t feel like I do, or that I deserve to)
- Having a job that, while I’m not making big bucks, I don’t hate. I don’t get stressed every time I wake up about going to work.
I challenge everyone (myself included, because God knows I’m not good at it) to take a moment every single day and remind yourself of one thing that you’re grateful for.
