Have you recently had a day that didn’t go as planned? Maybe it’s been that kind of a week, or a month, or longer.
Unfortunate things are a part of life. Hard things happened. There are life events that make your breath stop. And there are days you want to spend with your head under the covers. But what about when you can’t?
The sun will come out tomorrow, but how do we redeem today?
It goes back to what we said on Day One of our Gratitude Challenge: there is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Sometimes you have to dig through the rubble to find it, but that only increases its value once it’s been found.
With that thought in mind, today’s activity is:
Make lemonade out of lemons.
Bring to mind a difficult situation that you recently encountered.
As you consider it, try to think of one positive outcome from it. Just ONE positive outcome. The level of its impact is not significant. It doesn’t have to be to be life-changing. It just has to be positive.
Did it reveal information you are better off knowing?
Something about you?
Something about someone else?
Did it reveal a situation that needs attention?
Has it made you more self-aware?
The positives of the situation may or may not be weighty. They may or may not be many. And depending on the severity of the situation, your discovery may not be great enough to remove the sting of the situation; however, simply acknowledging a small glimmer of positivity can help soften the blow.
Have you considered that the mere existence of the struggle is a blessing? How?? It will … because it will make you stronger.
Consider a tree. Lots of times when you see a new tree planted, stakes are placed around it. Many people wrongly assume they are placed to direct tree growth. In reality, they are placed there to stabilize the root ball. Tree roots need time to grow down to ground a young, top-heavy tree. Once strong enough roots are in place, it’s essential that the stakes be removed for that is how the tree will continue to grow stronger!
A tree must be given the flexibility to sway in the wind in order to develop strength in its trunk.
The adage is true: use it or lose it. If a tree is perpetually staked into the ground and kept from any movement, when faced with life’s forces, it will fail. It didn’t use that trunk strength… so it lost it.
But the opposite is also true. If a tree is provided guidance for a short time, and then allowed to face life’s storms, it will come out stronger on the other side. And each storm, thereafter, only makes it stronger.
You may be in a storm right now, and your trunk is being blown by the wind. You may be bent over in the worst of it, but remind yourself that you will emerge stronger because of it! Remind yourself that there is always something to be thankful for…
Including our incredible Body Moves community!
Including fun, knowledgeable instructors!
Including your amazing human body and its ability to move and functions!
There is always, always, always something to be thankful for!
Enjoy your glass of lemonade!
See you tomorrow for our next challenge!
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