Appreciation

Today marks the first day of December. The sun is shining, it is 12C, the sky is aqua blue and the Vitosha mountain is giving off wonderful energy! I just perused the weather network and the long range forecast for Sofia says it will be in the double digits all week. As I was returning from an afternoon run, I stopped to shoot the breeze with my neighbour. I was singing praise to the wonderful weather and how beautiful Sofia is at this time of year. She immediately went on about how the snow is coming, it will be bitter cold, we will find it horrible, etc, etc. I tried to bring her back to the beautiful moment we were in as the sun was beating down on me, yet she could only focus on what was coming. She went on about shoveling snow, getting stuck, freezing in her house, cutting wood to burn, the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables at the market, the bare trees. Again, I tried to bring positive light back into our conversation by saying how much I appreciate living in a climate that had four seasons and how it reminded me of the circle of life. Once again, she went on about the evils of winter. I smiled and decided that I would probably not change the outlook of my 66 year old neighbour but I would not let her ruin my feeling of appreciation. So, I took my ray of sunlight and went home. Instead of feeling sad for her, I thought how lucky I was to be able to appreciate what I had. I decided that it was alright for me to offer my joyful commentary regardless of what her response would be. Perhaps she went inside and told herself, "wow, yes, I had not thought of it, but yes, it is a beautiful day"....or maybe she said "what a crazy, loopy girl who lives beside me?" When other people are focusing on the negative, it is not your problem. Since we choose our own thoughts, we can reshape our thinking so that we never have to think in the negative again. So, as we move in to the time of holiday cheer, remember to appreciate...appreciate the people in your life, your family and friends, and even your grouchy neighbours, appreciate your health and the way you can move your body, appreciate your shelter and the food that you nourish your body with. If you find yourself drifting into the glass half empty mentality, TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE-DOWN!