I try to be a thankful and a grateful person. I try to instill these qualities in my children. BUT…there are some things that can really derail my attempts to keep my life in PERSPECTIVE. One thing that can send me over the edge is HEAT!
One day last summer I was busy working around the house. We were in the middle of a big remodeling project. I was overheated from all the remodeling work. I was trying to get dinner ready and I though I might spontaneously combust! It seemed much hotter in the kitchen than the 72 degrees my thermostat was set at. I went into the hallway and saw that the temperature in the house was a balmy 79 degrees!! (I was so shocked that I didn't think to take a picture until later when it was down to 76 degrees)
I madly started punching buttons on the thermostat, hoping to miraculously fix this horrible problem. Nope…it just kept creeping up. I went out to look at the air conditioning unit…it seemed fine. I called my husband….but not much he could do from work. I could physically feel my irritability skyrocketing. I could see BIG $$$ signs in my mind. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about the cost to have the air unit worked on.
I went back to work on dinner. I took the kids outside to play because with the strong Kansas breeze it seemed cooler outside. I was sitting outside watching 2 of my daughters play and I was reminded of PERSPECTIVE! I was reminded of my many blessings. I was reminded that the majority of the people in the world don't even have air conditioning! I was reminded that if it got to unbearable we could stay with my parents or with my in-laws until it was fixed. Once I paused and thanked God for what I had and remembered to put things into perspective I felt so much better.
We were very fortunate that my father-in-law was able to look things over and found that some very fine dust from our remodeling project had gotten into an area of the unit that it shouldn't. He was able to get it taken care of and our home returned to a nice cool 72 degrees!
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So how do we keep life in perspective?
Here are some ideas to help keep your life in perspective:
1. Count Your Blessings:
I know that most of my readers live in the United States of America. That makes you among the most blessed in the WORLD…no matter how broke you may think you are! 🙂 When I take a few minutes and really look around me….it is hard to stay bummed out about small issues like a hot house! I think most of us have to admit we have a lot to be thankful for…even on our hardest days.
2. Be Realistic:
If you are having a breakdown because your internet speed is too slow today (and yes…I have been there, LOL)…is it really that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things? Look at what is making you nuts…how major is the issue? Some issues truly are HUGE….but most of the things that cause me stress…aren't. I need to remember to be realistic in how I handle the small everyday stressors!
3. Change Your Expectations:
I used to be a lot more stressed out than I am now. I had higher expectations for myself…for my children, etc. Don't get me wrong…I think high expectations in some areas are wonderful…but sometimes we set ourselves and those people we love up for failure….and for what….a spotless house, a perfect yard? Make sure that you have high expectations for the right things. Once I evaluated my goals, objectives and expectations and reorganized them a bit…it really did help me keep my life in perspective!
4. Attack Your Problem Head On:
It doesn't make any sense for me to sit around and cry about my slow internet if I haven't even called my provider to see if there is anything that can be done. I talk to people all the time who are complaining about things in their life that they do have some control over…but they haven't done anything about their problem. If your issue is even partially within your control…do what you can to fix it! Working on a problem will make you feel better…it will make you feel more productive! Attacking your problem head on will give you a sense of accomplishment!
5. Take a Lesson from Frozen and LET IT GO:
Things happen in life that we can't control….that we can't fix….or that don't get fixed in our time frame. You may just have to let it go. Accept the situation for what it is….remember your blessings, but quit stressing about something that you can't do anything about! If you have done all you can…and it still isn't resolved…then just put is aside and work on things that are in your power to control!
Do you have certain triggers that send your perspective into orbit? I would love to hear that I am not the only one! Feel free to leave a comment!
Be sure to check out my post on how to deal with life when you are at the End Of Your Rope! I think we have all been there!!
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Good tips and always great to stay focused on the future and forward and not the past. Great post. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme
Thanks for sharing with us at #JoyHopeLive!