My God, I’m one of those sappy tools.
It’s no secret that my family has been going through a tough time lately. One of the many by-products is Olympic-class stress levels. A couple of weeks ago I asked the hive mind for recommendations on stress reduction. I got lots of great answers but one stood out for me: Write down what you’re grateful for every day.
I know what you’re thinking: Why don’t you just hug a tree, wear a crystal, buy a copy of The Secret, drink soy milk, listen to George Winston and annoy every right-minded person in your life?
I thought the same thing.
Yet I grabbed one of my little notebooks and listed three things I’m glad to have:
- Happy, healthy kids
- A supportive, patient wife (more like a saint, actually. I’m VERY difficult to live with)
- A clean, cozy, well-lit house
Obvious choices, but good ones. It felt kind of silly but after 2 weeks I’m totally into it. Again, I reject new-agey mumbo-jumbo. What’s at work here is the simple act of focusing on the good. No, the external situation hasn’t changed, but when you’re down in the foxhole all day dodging bullets and shrapnel, you get used to it. You revel in the low. You succumb to the inertia (a body at rest tends to stay at rest).
The battle still rages but at least the sky is blue and the sun is warm. And this, just like all the of the other shit sandwiches life has served you, will pass.