On the Flip Side – Seeing the Glass Half Full

Life throws a lot of stuff at you.

Some of it is bad. (On this point, even the most disagreeable of us would probably agree.)

Some of it is good.

And some of it just annoying, frustrating or makes you feel like it’s time to crawl back in bed.

In the office here, we talk about seeing the “glass half full.” Sounds like a cliché, but when you actually pay attention to it, it can be powerful.

OK, I'm not Mr. Sunshine all the time.

When I get a flat tire, I don't jump for joy. I probably utter a few choice words that might have gotten me a mouthful of Ivory back in the day.

But when life feels like you've accidentally knocked over a beehive, maybe it's time to take a moment and enjoy the taste of honey.

Like my flat tire. At least I have a car. Not everyone can say that.

Stuck at the airport because your flight’s delayed? Well, if it's because mechanics are working on making sure the flight is safe, and everyone gets home in one piece... well, "thank you" feels pretty good vs. blowing your stack.

And trust me. No flight ever gets back on track just because you shoot off your mouth.

Stuck in traffic? Think about how lucky you have to have someplace to go. A job, to see a loved one, or the means to go shopping.

I can remember a comedian talking about how frustrated people get when their cell phones don't work absolutely perfectly, every single time.

Think about it. You carry in your hand a mini computer that gives you access to virtually every written word ever written. And lets you talk to people around the globe, sending messages to space!

Sorry it didn't post your cat picture right the first time.

I'm not really trying to tell you up is down, or East is actually West. When bad things happen, they can be really bad. And it's ok to feel mad or sad about it.

But if you at least look for the flip side, it makes picking yourself up and dusting yourself off that much easier.

I'm still looking for the "good" from shattering a brand-new jar of tomato sauce all over my garage floor carrying groceries into the house.

Well, it did force me to make a pesto instead. And it was pretty tasty. 

So that’ll work for now.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.