Something Good In Every Day

"Every day may not be as good, but there is something good in every day." - Alice Morse Earle

I’ve been thinking lately about how important it is to find and keep a positive perspective in everything, and live life in the present.

Times continue to be challenging. These are scary times for sure. But the news isn't ALL scary, and we need to take a minute to recognize and acknowledge that.  We continue to battle the Coronavirus. But every day hundreds of thousands of people continue to get access to the vaccination. News of states moving to new phases of reopening. I know we still have a ways to go, but you have to admit, what was once an  enormous obstacle in front of us no longer seems so insurmountable. It remains hyper-critical that we continue to also try to find the positive within us, and around us.

As we are now in the midst of the anniversary of the global pandemic, many are taking the time to reflect on the past year.  Here are 5 questions that were posed to me recently, along with my responses:

1. Q: What do you wish that you would have known a year ago? A: The easy thing would be to say "To know that a year later, we'd still be in the midst of it all." Or, I wish we would have known in advance, that the pandemic was coming our way. 
2. Q: Over the past year, I miss ____. A: That would obviously be regular interaction with people, in person. At work, I don't necessarily miss the office, but I definitely miss the people. 
3. Q: I never want to ____ again. A: Take anything for granted. A lot of realization happened over the course of the past year. A lot of soul searching. Most of all knowing that our time is precious. Life is precious, and life is short. We need to live it.
4. Q: Your best/worst quarantine, or work-from-home decision? A: BEST - likely investing in a plethora of sweatpants, hoodies, and comfy socks. Basically my daily work-from-home wardrobe. Well, from the waist down at least. WORST - possibly turning on the news, ever. I keep tabs on what is going on in the world, but have a hard time listening to the news focusing on the negative and repeating it over and over again. I want to know what is going on, and move on.
5. Q: What would you have done/not done if you would have known this would last more than a year? A: Honestly, I don't know that I would have done anything different. You couldn't have expected how things would have turned out. Basically I did what I did. I believe a better question would be…"Based on what I know now, what changes am I going to make today and every day going forward?" To THAT, I can make an impact.

There were many lessons learned over the course of the past year: 

• We are thinking of new and creative ways to get things done. 
• Or think about this, with less cars on the road, less planes in the air there is less pollution in the air. 
• People are rising to the occasion. 
• People sharing their positive thoughts and words of encouragement with others. 
• Tons of focus on gratitude and thankfulness for the people and things we already have in our lives. 
• People focusing on connecting with others, even from a distance. 
• People working on their fitness and being active. Getting outside and going for a walk. 
• Communities coming together like never before. 
• People donating their aid, time and money to others in need. 

Take the time to answer those questions above, for yourself. What did you learn? What would you do differently? How are you seeing things differently? But most importantly, what can you do about it today? In times of great challenge, it is up to us to rise up and meet that challenge.  

I'm not saying that we shouldn't acknowledge all the craziness going on out there. There is a lot of hurt and a lot of pain. What I am saying is that we need to try not to feed into the negative rabbit hole that it is easy to fall into. We must solve the problems, not become a part of them. Stay strong and resilient by seeking to find the positives. 

Take the time to find the good in every day. It's all around you. There is a silver lining in every cloud. Find it, showcase it, and you'll start believing it. We find whatever it is we are truly looking for. Look for the positive and the good. Point out the good in others, because that will also help us find the good in ourselves too. We will get through this together, and become stronger and wiser than ever.  

Life is valuable, don't take it for granted. Be present and live in the now. Cherish your relationships with your family, friends, and co-workers, and always be courteous & kind. Learn to carry an attitude of gratitude in all you do. Live your life every day with passion & compassion, and work to live it to the fullest. Be good and do good and make the rest of your days, the best of your days! Start today!

Make today great!

Curtis

"Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for your life to begin and start making the most of the moment you are in." - Germany Kent