Gratitude for the positive side in a negative situation.

[CMF]

Hi all,

So today didn't start to well. Hopped into the car to take little miss to school and the car wouldn't start...flat battery. Great, my anxiety starts to rise, questions start, what ifs pop up. How will I get her to school? Why didn't I know it was going flat? Car was serviced a month ago, why didn't the mechanic check it? Why didn't i ask them to? What if I didn't have RACV? How much will it cost? What if it happened on a day I had to work? What if it happened after work when i had to get back to pick her up from aftercare?

You get the picture yeah?

As I sat in my state of anxiety I started to look at the what could have occurred versus and what actually did occur. I started to counteract the negatives and realise that despite the inconvenience I was sort of lucky. For example;

The battery could have gone flat when on a day I had to work - The battery went flat on a day i didn't work.

The battery could have gone flat after work or while I was out and had to get back to pick up my daughter - The battery went flat first thing in the morning so I was not really stranded anywhere too far away.

How would i get my daughter to school? - Fortunately her dad was able to pick her up and take her before work.

What if I didn't have RACV?- Well I do have RACV so i was lucky and they were quite prompt.

How much will it cost? - Sure, it was an added expense i didn't need but it goes with running a car and fortunately I have worked some extra hours the last 2 weeks so that will help with the cost of a the new battery.

As I sat and thought of these things i thought to myself that it actually worked out ok for me. I wasn't going to or at work, my daughter was still home with me and her dad was able to take her to school, I've done extra hours at work , I have RACV. All these things made me realise my situation was not as bad as it initially felt.

I looked back and felt grateful, so very grateful.

Do you have a story to share?

CMF x

[therising]

Hi CMF

Such a thought provoking post. Very much appreciated. So glad you met with inspiration through your experience. I love the fact that you question much. Hard to find answers or experience a shift in consciousness when we're not asking questions.

Having lived with depression for a number of years some time ago, I can now say (looking back) I did ask a lot of good questions but that's where things tended to stop. I was stuck with questions that felt more like statements. You know the ones like

• What's wrong with me?!
• Why doesn't anyone care?!
• Why am I even here?!

Wasn't 'til I came out of my depression and began looking for the answers that I realised that they were more so valid questions that were leading me to seek valid answers. My curiosity or wonder became my leader, toward answers. Ever since, I have enjoyed the game of 'follow the leader', in life. Wonder always leads me to answers, even if the answers don't reveal themselves for some weeks during my investigation.

• 'What was 'wrong' with me?' was revealed through my understanding of the chemistry and perception that can play out in depression
• 'Why doesn't anyone care?' was revealed through the fact that many did not possess the expertise to care in a way that could help me manage my way out of depression. Of course they still cared but not in the way I desperately needed them to
• 'Why am I even here?' was revealed through my love of wonder. We bring our self to life through wonder. Through wonder, we are led to excitement, to answers, to fulfilling our longings and through wonder we evolve. We wonder our way to revelations such as 'I wonder what would have happened if my car didn't start on the morning I had to go to work?' Not hard to imagine how stressful things would have been. We can even wonder our way through to gratitude. Something so important is our ability to also wonder about difference, including the positive difference we can make in our own life and the lives of others

To become wonder full, like we used be and to question often as we used to do, when we were very small, means to return or turn again to our most natural self...the wonderful explorer and seeker of knowledge and greater understanding.

Take care and thanks again for the inspiration 🙂

[CMF]

Thanks all for the positive comments. I'm glad others have found this thread helpful and we've all been able to bounce off each other.

I know sometimes we need to dig deep to find positives but how nice is it when we do find them.

cmf x

[Blufftuff]

it almost seems natural for us focus on the negative and not the positive

Totally agree we need to refocus dig deep and when we discover the positive

it makes the negative so small and less dominating over our lives

[CalmCat]

I see negative experiences as growth and keep on growing.

Doz

[Leisa68]

Hi all,

It's amazing reading all these thought-provoking stories. Everyone here appears to be very gracious about what has happened to them and their personal way out. Well done to all.

I have a long story, which resulted in abuse, abusing myself and now I am partly immobile. There is a lot to be sorry for myself for, but I am trying not to do that. So:

I have a partner who supports me, drives me around, takes me to appointments and listens to me. I know I am very lucky and am grateful for that.

Despite being immobile, I can still study! There are many online courses, (of which I am doing two) there are online films, tv and there is always youtube. Imagine if I was in this situation thirty years ago!

I have some very caring friends who keep in touch.

I already feel better writing this!

Have a wonderful day

Leisa68

[CMF]

Hi again everyone and welcome to any newcomers.

Well, hasn't it been a very draining few months. Lots of ups and downs, things improved and now, here in Vic, we are on hard lockdown till mid September. I have many positives to share. I have become calmer because I see this is affecting everyone not just me. My office had had to close for the lockdown but the company is still paying us. During this lockdown I plan to walk everyday as we are allowed 1 hr for exercise/fresh air. I have lots I'd like to do around the house, garden, painting, clean out cupboards, now I can do them. I miss not being at work but I don't have to rush back and forth for a while. It will be Spring when lockdown ends, we spend the last of winter watching rainy days and sleeping in a little. I get to be home for remote learning. I have time to stop and be grateful.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Cmf x

[therising]

Hi CMF

This has become an incredible thread revealing many inspiring masters of challenge.

Without a doubt, there are a heck of a lot of challenges in life, some small and some enormous, some repetitive and some altogether new. Reading here how everyone has come to assess their challenges and move through them really is inspiring. To find gratitude within challenge is a gift, one we may have never taken the time to understand until we're led to know what gratitude looks and feels like.

CMF, you are a natural leader and light for others, a gift. You throw out light to those around you and the best in them begins to shine.

One of the things I'm grateful for is this inspiring and grateful circle of people here on this thread, those who are determined to master their challenges and find the best in themselves.

🙂

[ecomama]

That's beautiful CMF, so much to be grateful for.

We have a cute Recipes thread here and a Gardening thread too if you'd like to share the capers you're getting up to at your house, we'd love to hear about it!

Sending you lots of warm well wishes always,
EM

[CMF]

WOW, thank you therising. Such beautiful, heartfelt words. I'm a little teary and overwhelmed, in a good way 😊. I've faced many challenges over the last few years and it has led me to become who I am and I'm at peace. I strive to be a person who looks for the good, looks outside a situation and considers all factors to be more understanding. I'm a big overthinker, it never stops, however I think I've learnt to use my overthinking in a different way. Rather than worry, which I still do at times, i use it to assess all angles. I just realised this as I am writing - thank you.

Cmf x