We Choose What We Believe

​It's overcast today in our neighborhood, with temperatures in the 60's, and a little bite in the air as my neighbors and I all rolled out our cans for garbage pick-up this morning.

"It's freezing!" exclaimed Gail. "Where's the darn sun? Now I need to get a sweater before I head to work..." Gail walked off mumbling.

"Isn't this great?" said Stella. "No more 100 degree weather! I think I might actually be able to save my lawn!"

Same weather....two completely different perspectives. The cup-half-empty/cup-half-full conversation is an old one. And yes, people tend to fall into those two camps. But do we have to? We can't always control what happens with our physical bodies or emotional reactions, but you are the only ones who choose what it is you decide to think. You also get to choose our thinking patterns.

If you decide on an upbeat perspective in life, you may be disappointed now and then, but our very mindset helps us to recover. On the other hand, the big reward for predicting doom and gloom is the right to say "I told you so" when life gets challenging. It might be useful if you fall into the half-empty camp to see just how well that's working for you.