Positivity and Gratitude Practice

What is something negative that happened to you this week and how did you turn it around to the positive?

Example: At Canadian Tire a pretty nasty worker told me I had to set my bag at the till like I was some unruly teen, not a woman. My bag converts from a purse to a pack as I bicycle as my transportation. I mentioned this to her and tried to ask her about a product I needed help with but she was curt and adamant. I couldn't believe this woman was treating me like this and had to take a few moments to gather myself multiple times. I didn't give up though and took the bag off, showing her how it works but she still said (With a gross smile of victory) that "All large bags must go by the till". Since covid I don't put my items in unknown places and also mentioned this. Fortunately at this point the manager noticed and saw my bag convert and said it was fine. I could have jumped for joy and bellowed 'HA!' into this miserable woman's face but integrity and class takes priority in my life so I smiled happily and warmly said 'thank you. I appreciate it.'

I also spoke up to my building manager again after going on a year of being disturbed daily by the upstairs neighbor who has little to no sense of 'do unto others'. Their argument was they're allowed to normally live their lives and I mentioned that if it was disturbing mine then what exactly does normal mean? Especially if I can't study, relax, sleep, focus or enjoy my home since moving in and layering noise cancelling headphones over earplugs, counselling, meditating, journaling, supplements and speaking to a doctor and other healthcare providers isn't even doing enough?

In life if we don't speak up for ourselves and allow ourselves to be heard, if we don't go after what we want, if we don't fight against whatever limitations we think we might have, the nature of the beast will swallow and does swallow us whole. Not everyone out there gets it. And that can and will take everything if you let it. They will. And it will be your fault, your responsibility, your life, not theirs that goes down the drain.

Get up, get real and get going. Start small, but start somewhere and keep going, whatever you do.

If things fall apart, hang on as long as you need. The resilience and capabilities of humans are uncharted and beyond what we believe. People survive and thrive the most insurmountable odds more and more each day. We have genius 11 years olds working on a cure for death. We have breakthroughs in science every day.

A lot of this can be buried in the information overload that hangs like smog over our lives. But when we remember the profound capabilities and possibilities that are flourishing in the world today, the sun cuts through the noise and the moon fills the air with a cozy blanket of comforting promise.