What is NOT Wrong?

"He who sings scares away his woes."
 - Spanish proverb

It is easy to know when things go wrong - we're in some kind of pain!

• If we have a toothache, we know we need to go to the dentist to get some relief.
• When we take care of the toothache, we forget about it and go on to the next problem - perhaps the car needs some repair.
• If the car isn't working, we take it to the mechanic.
• Once the car is working, we see the next problem - perhaps not enough money.
• So, we may try to cut back on unnecessary spending, which makes us cranky - another problem.
• So to be less cranky, we may drink too much or say something unkind to someone we care about - which leads to another problem...

If all we do is focus on difficulties or what we call problem-solving, then we begin to see our lives as one big problem.  As the saying goes, "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

• When we don't have a toothache, we don't think: "Aha - I don't have a toothache.  Life is good!"
• Or when the car is working, we don't think: "I love my car.  It takes me where I need to go."
• Or when we have what we need (rather than what we want), we don't think: "I have enough and that is good."
• Or when we are not cranky, we don't think: "I am happy."

To interrupt this cycle, you might simply ask yourself the question:  "What is NOT wrong?"  If you think about your life this way, you might start with things like:

• health
• family
• friends
• living situation

If you need help getting started, pick up the newspaper or listen to the news.  You will hear or read about people who are dealing with problems that are not happening to you.  You can be thankful for this.

You could keep a journal and call it "What is NOT Wrong!"  Every night before you go to sleep, jot down all the things you can think of that are not wrong, even if you wrote the same things the day before.

This doesn't mean that you should ignore genuine problems.  Continue working to resolve them with solutions that aren't going to bring more problems.  If this is hard for you, call Life Management Associates for help.  We are here to help you think creatively and support you in your pursuit of a happier life.

And remember, you are not your problems;  your life is not defined by your problems.  You and your life are bigger and much more pleasant than you may be seeing at the moment.  Just take a look at your "What is NOT Wrong" journal to remind you of this!