A boy of approximately nine years old was outside in front of his tenement house kicking his football against the wall. He had been at this for a long time, reaching well over one hundred with each foot. Not even once did he miss or did the ball get away from him. It had become dark when a motor vehicle pulled up and someone got out and approached his house.
Thirty or more years go by and what happened that night continues to haunt this individual. He was now married with children, yet the memory continues to invade his dreams, daylight and dark. It was pressing hard against his mind so as to invade his feeling about himself as a father to his children and his overall perception of self worth.
While it is true that sorrow, heartache from a previous traumatic event’s memories remains with us the rest of our life, it is not correct that it haunts us every day as in the illustration above. It truly depends upon how we have chosen to proactively respond to our situation. There are healthy approaches to dealing with our grief and there are unhealthy ways of dealing with our losses.
As soon as we are able to focus our minds, we need to begin each day with a positive mindset. Yes, this is a choice, and initially we may need to consciously begin with self-talk declaring we are going to have a positive day in spite of whatever circumstance arise. We can choose to deal with negative circumstances the same way in our personal life as we do at work. Focus on our problem solving skills, looking at each negative situation as a challenge and an opportunity for success.
Take life one moment, one step at a time with a positive attitude is a can do step. This is sunrise.
