Perspectives

Today was staff meeting and case management day. Ordinarily, just the thought of these meetings alone, never mind actually sitting through them makes me cringe. That's where perspectives comes in. The mindset with which you enter into things creates a huge impact in how those things go. It's really a matter of self-fulfilling prophecies. If you expect the worst, you will see only negatives. If you enter into something with a positive attitude, you usually leave having found something positive in your encounter.
Thankfully, even when there's a negative association with an event, something positive can turn it around. That's what happened to me today. Once a month, one of my agency's board members attends our staff meeting. The board member who came today brought along a positive energy. Every time she comes, she serves as an inspiration to me in some way or another. Today, she mentioned a catalog. In this catalog, there was an ad for a self care box. An example given from this box was a challenge to think of five things that make you smile. Sometimes one might approach this challenge with the thought of "Only five things? That's easy!" Other days coming up with even one might be difficult.
For today, I issue the following challenge: Think of five things that make you smile and then share them with someone you care about! Here are my five things. They are in no particular order.

1. Seeing the crocuses push up through the ground, bringing thoughts of Spring with them.
2. Spending time with old friends and remembering "the good old days".
3. Hearing my niece's tiny little voice on my answering machine.
4. All of the little things my husband does each day in his efforts to take care of me.
5. Sunshine--even when the temperature is low.