on January 9, 2018
You can wish for a perfect year (and I hope your wish is granted!), but it’s unlikely everything will go according to plan. The car might break down, you may break a dish or two, you’ll likely get into a few spats with family members or colleagues. The trick is knowing when to spend time thinking about and resolving issues…and when to let things go.
It’s a balance that I’m still trying to get right. It’s incredibly easy to dwell on the little things—to let some small mishap ruin the rest of your day, but dwelling doesn’t help things. It only dampens your mood, distracts you, and takes up valuable head space that could be used to focus on other things.
Have you ever been driving—and perhaps running late—when you either witnessed an accident or narrowly missed being hit by another vehicle? You might have been annoyed about running late, but at least you avoided the accident! Life unfolds in ways we don’t necessarily understand and it’s better to focus on the present moment (concentrate on driving), than be dragged into negativity or irritability by small inconveniences (running late).
Life is short. I am reminded of that all the time as I watch my children grow, observe the seasons passing, or say goodbye to a friend or family member who has passed. How will you choose to live this short life? Is it really worth it to be angry at yourself because you forgot your phone charger? Is it really worth it to stay mad at someone who spoke out-of-turn at a meeting?
Instead of focusing on the small inconveniences and nuisances, turn your thinking around and focus on the good aspects of your life right now. What is going well? What are you grateful for? Then, start to problem-solve. How can you work on fixing the problems you’re experiencing? What is within your control? What isn’t? If something is beyond your control, how will you work on letting it go and concentrate on the problems you can solve?
This year, I hope you will resolve to let the little things go. Concentrate on the big picture. Open yourself to gratitude and optimism. Life IS good if we see it that way. It’s all about perception and letting yourself truly believe that the little things cannot and will not drag you down.
That’s part of Self-Wealth, right? Having hope for the future—seeing the optimistic possibilities and then working to make those possibilities a reality.
A wish you a happy, mindful New Year.