Negativity

Negativity and feeling sorry for yourself seems to be so common in this day and age. It honestly drives me nuts. Let me make this clear - I am not saying that I don't feel sorry for people - I often do for various reasons. I am also not saying that feeling sad makes me irritated. I also occasionally feel sad for various reasons. What I can't handle is when people feel sorry for themselves because of the situation they are in or their lot in life.

This is something that has been a pet peeve of mine for a long, LONG time. When I was in high school my parents went through a very long, very difficult divorce. I think it was about that time I realized that I could CHOOSE my attitude regarding it. I could either become bitter and wallow in self pity, or I could use it to make me a stronger person. I chose the latter. I remember it vividly and it was a very conscious decision. That decision alone made a huge impact on my life. I make a conscious choice every day to see the bright side of things, not to dwell in negativity, and to realize that God is in control and puts us in certain situations for reasons. This isn't to say I don't have bad days. I do. It also isn't to say I don't have days where I feel down. I do. But I've also realized that drowning my sorrows in self pity is never going to make anything better and I become instantly irritated when someone thinks that it will or attempts to solicit pity from other people by moaning about their problems.

This is not always a good thing. Sometimes it has got me in trouble. I've been called "fake" by some who view my outlook as unreal. I've been called "calloused" because I have no sympathy for people that wallow in self-pity. I have honestly tried to be empathetic to people when they are feeling sorry for their lot in life, but to no avail I just become frustrated (this is where people think I'm calloused). I try, but I just do not understand it. I am not a big Dr. Phil fan, but he stated it so perfectly when he said, "you are just burning daylight". I've come to the conclusion in my whopping 32 years on this earth no one (except God) can change your situation for you....if you are not happy with something in your life YOU need to do everything YOU can to make it better. You may say that I feel this way because everything may be going right for me RIGHT now - but my family can attest to the fact that this feeling is deep in my soul and not a fleeting emotion. There is SO MUCH in life to be happy about and thankful for...God is good.