Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Dealing With Life's Ups & Downs...Mostly Downs...

Nothing do, but smile through.
Smile through...

This has become my new mantra as of late. A few too many overwhelming items plopped onto my plate, what else can I do?

Cry?
Complain?

You do too many of either one and you start loosing people to cry to, complain to, talk to...

Then what? You end up alone. No good. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade... no matter how much that cliche hurts your head to say it, read it, write it. Just do it. Make your damned lemonade.

And smile through.

It might feel a little like living life by a lie, however, sometimes it's best to do just that. No one really wants to hear how you really feel. They're overwhelmed themselves. Just smile and nod and do something fun. Buy something nice. Go somewhere warm. No harm in that, right?

At the very least you'll be out and about doing something else with someone who can still stand to be around you. Heck, they might even like to be around you ;)

So what if you have some illness or situation that can't ever be resolved. Does it mean that you have to talk about it - and only it - all.the.bloody.time?!

I get stuck on things. Negative things. Bad things. Especially things that linger and stick around and get stuck on me. In me. But what good does it do for me or you to stay stuck on these things? Sure, we work through them.

Maybe.
Mostly.

However, that one lame thing that we keep thinking and talking about starts to define us. And people, unless they're in the mood to talk about it or listen to you talk about it, well, they'll stop coming around. And then, again, you're alone. No fun.

So...

Smile through I say.

Whatever it is that's got your panties in a bunch, just blow it off. Who needs it!

Yes, you're having a bad day because of it. So is probably 70% of the population (I'm being optimistic here, I know). But do we really have to talk about it?

Fogetaboutit...

Crank your brain and think real hard for something better to talk about. Think about. Go out and do something fun. And whatever that is, make that your mainstay diet of conversation. Pretty soon that awesomeness will start to become you instead of that crappiness that had you so overworked you couldn't think or talk about anything but.

And yes...sometimes we might have to just be silent if we can't think of anything nice to say or do. But there's no harm in that. That's actually a very good practice. The only way to bring peace into your life is to be at peace.

So smile through, I say.

Nothing do, but smile through.