Adversity is a lovely thing that we all experience on a day to day basis. From minor inconveniences to major dilemmas, it seems we cannot escape "bad" things from happening. Or can we?
The answer is no, we can't completely escape all "bad" things. You may be wondering why the word "bad" is in quotes. This is simply because our point of view and attitude towards life largely determines how we experience every moment. Look at the world through a narrow, negative scope and you will only experience negative emotions and a poor attitude. Or you can look at things with a "come at me" attitude and tackle anything that comes your way with a smile.
As someone who drives to and from work in rush hour, has a bad habit of running late even when I get a head start, and just all around sets myself up for inconvenient happenings, I figured I could use a little push to see things a bit brighter. So, for 7 days, I would face every adverse situation with the sentence "This is good because [insert positive statement here]." The whole point of this challenge is to force yourself to see the good in each and every situation, even if there is no apparent good from the beginning. This nifty little challenge was derived from Jen Sincero's book "You Are A Badass: how to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life". Sincero mentions this practice in her book as a way to increase your gratitude and start living at a "higher frequency."
My experience with this challenge was similar to that of being on a carousel. I started the challenge strong, saying "This is good because" to pretty much every situation over the course of the weekend (I was too impatient to wait for Monday to begin). I felt accomplished. Felt like I was making a ~great~ difference in my life.
Then Monday happened.
Wake up a few minutes late. "This is good because I must have needed the extra sleep and now I can go on with my day fully charged." Get to the kitchen and realize we're out of coffee. "This is good because I don't really need it anyway, it makes me anxious." Get stuck in traffic on my way to the first day at a new job. That's where Monday ends. My gratitude went straight out the window and I allowed myself to be irritated and upset that on my first day I allowed myself to potentially be late and make a poor impression. PLOT TWIST. I arrived on time and had a stellar first day. Gratitude restored.
This little mishap showed me that even if something happens that seems huge, there is no need to worry because it will work out the way it needs to. I continued the rest of the days of the challenge with the same vigor and fire that I started with.
Stuck in traffic? This is good because there are a lot of people trying to get to work to help the economy maintain growth. (This was a stretch).
Miss out on a close parking spot? This is good because exercise boosts your mood & I could use the steps.
Lost my favorite pen? This is good because now I get to go buy a new one and, honestly, who doesn't love shopping for office supplies??
My dog escaped from his crate? This is good because he wasn't cooped up for as long as intended.
Spilled water all over the kitchen floor? This is good because it probably needed to be cleaned.
The list goes on.
As Sincero postulated in her book, I did feel by the end of the week that I was "vibrating at a higher energy" aka I-Didn't-Feel-As-Crabby-All-The-Time. Seeing the good in every situation (even if it is extremely difficult) does have an impact on the lense through which you view the world. Come Friday I felt that I had gained more patience with my general surroundings and noticed myself trying to take on the view of others more frequently.
The 7 days of this challenge provided me with a new outlook, will it do the same for you? I dare you to take the challenge and watch everything change before you!
