I have to say right from the get go that I am fortunate enough never to have suffered from debilitating depression and I have every sympathy for people who find themselves afflicted. Likewise, life can sometimes deal such a ferocious blow that even the most grounded of individuals would wobble.
I am talking about something entirely different, however. I am talking about the mindset that we all sometimes fall prey to, when we fail to see all of the potential that life has to offer, focusing instead on its limitations. Now I am not what you would call a natural Pollyanna, I am probably more inclined to see the cup as half empty. Does this actually mean anything though?
I am starting to think that maybe it's all just a cop out. We can talk ourselves up just as easily as we can talk ourselves down. And if we aren't careful we can find ourselves in a negative spiral, doubting both ourselves and the world around us. I have come to this conclusion after crawling out of a bit of a funk, which saw me looking at life through whatever is the opposite of rose tinted glasses.
As the mood lifted, I came to see that in the majority of cases, the situations in which we find ourselves are mainly irrelevant, it's our mindset that leads us to either suck it up and just get on with it or allow the misery and subsequent self-pity to overwhelm us. It's as simple as that and we all have a choice. The idea that some people are more naturally inclined than others to be positive, is in my opinion, a fallacy.
If you need proof that what I am saying is true, then think about the impact that other people have on us. Being around positive people automatically makes us feel more inclined towards a positive outlook, whilst negative people drain the life out of us. If we can react in such a way to other people, why then can we not influence our own outlook and make the choice to be positive?
Thinking about all the people in my life there are a few who, if I'm honest, just thinking about them makes my heart sink. They are invariably dreary and see the world as a bleak and negative place. I hate to think that I might have that effect on other people and that, if nothing else, is enough to keep me on a path of positivity. That and the realisation that it's a slippery slope. The minute we start to see life as something to be endured rather than enjoyed, we risk falling into the trap of becoming self-perpetuating bundles of negativity, dragging ourselves and anyone unfortunate enough to be in our orbit into a pit of doom and gloom.
I am talking about something entirely different, however. I am talking about the mindset that we all sometimes fall prey to, when we fail to see all of the potential that life has to offer, focusing instead on its limitations. Now I am not what you would call a natural Pollyanna, I am probably more inclined to see the cup as half empty. Does this actually mean anything though?
I am starting to think that maybe it's all just a cop out. We can talk ourselves up just as easily as we can talk ourselves down. And if we aren't careful we can find ourselves in a negative spiral, doubting both ourselves and the world around us. I have come to this conclusion after crawling out of a bit of a funk, which saw me looking at life through whatever is the opposite of rose tinted glasses.
As the mood lifted, I came to see that in the majority of cases, the situations in which we find ourselves are mainly irrelevant, it's our mindset that leads us to either suck it up and just get on with it or allow the misery and subsequent self-pity to overwhelm us. It's as simple as that and we all have a choice. The idea that some people are more naturally inclined than others to be positive, is in my opinion, a fallacy.
If you need proof that what I am saying is true, then think about the impact that other people have on us. Being around positive people automatically makes us feel more inclined towards a positive outlook, whilst negative people drain the life out of us. If we can react in such a way to other people, why then can we not influence our own outlook and make the choice to be positive?
Thinking about all the people in my life there are a few who, if I'm honest, just thinking about them makes my heart sink. They are invariably dreary and see the world as a bleak and negative place. I hate to think that I might have that effect on other people and that, if nothing else, is enough to keep me on a path of positivity. That and the realisation that it's a slippery slope. The minute we start to see life as something to be endured rather than enjoyed, we risk falling into the trap of becoming self-perpetuating bundles of negativity, dragging ourselves and anyone unfortunate enough to be in our orbit into a pit of doom and gloom.
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