People think they’ll be happier when circumstances get better. Whatever “circumstances” bothering them at the time.
Really, it’s the other way around. Get happier, and watch those circumstances improve.
I’ll understand if you wanna slap me for saying that, though. Sometimes, I’m tempted to slap myself over such things coming out of my mouth.
And if it makes you feel better? Then you can think about slapping me. Just don’t do any real slapping. That’s assault, damnit.
When you’re neck deep in the craptastic, it’s hard to get a whiff of optimism. It’s hard to see anything but the mess that’s all over the floor. I understand.
You can usually ease it a bit though. Decide to do the best with what you’ve got right now, getting through it. Don’t have much choice anyway, right? So make peace with where you’re at. Don’t look for who is at fault or who is being ugly or what’s right and wrong. Blunt the pain a little bit by reminding yourself, it’s okay to be where you are at. You won’t always be there, but being there right now is okay and you’re doing what you can with it.
You don’t have control over the outside circumstances. You DO have at least some control over your perspective on it. Use that control to be as generous with yourself (and everyone else) as humanly possible.
And yes, you’ll want to set your sights on the future. You can expect it to continue major suckage, or you can expect it to brighten up.
Take a wild stab as to which one I’m going to suggest?
Next Week in Tarot
The Three of Wands/Fire from the beautiful (but still poorly-photographed-by-me) Good Tarot, is paired with Lilac from the Botanical Inspirations deck—First Emotions of Love. Together, these cards suggest expecting good to come your way.
Start looking ahead optimistically. Specifically seek out what you love, what brings you joy and what you can appreciate.
I mean, you could expect the worst. Many people do and can make a solid argument to expect suffering. But why on Earth would you want to argue for that?
Looking for the goodness and the glimmers of hope just feels better. But it helps in a more substantial way, too. It helps you tune in to the flow. You connect easier. Guidance is more readily available. And an attitude of optimism is also more authentic, in that it’s more representative of who you are, at a core level.
I love the quote here on this lovely Lilac card.
“Love is the magician that pulls man out of his own hat.’ -Ben Hecht
Love DOES transform people, into purer versions of themselves. Nothing is more beautiful than eyes shining with love. Love makes people grow and glow and their light ripples out to everyone in the vicinity.
[bctt tweet=”Tune in to optimism by focusing on what you love. #OnMyRadar” via=”no”]
If you’re feeling crummy, that’s okay. Just begin to expect a little relief. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Seek out what you love on the horizon like a kid looking for the ice cream truck. Tune in to it. Expect it. Listen for it. Be alert to it.
And you’ll see that good coming. That’s how you write your own story.
Need a little help getting tuned in? Give me a holler for a private consultation. And be well, friends!