The Little things or Small Victories

Life is filled with uncertainties and unhappy circumstances. Everyday when I log onto Facebook I am bombarded with pictures of abused animals and personal complaints that end in FML. With all of this negativity around it's a wonder that anybody gets out of bed in the morning. Today might not be perfect and it may not be easy to get through but does that automatically mean that everything should just go to shit? So what’s a person to do when they live in a world that’s making it hard to stay optimistic?

What’s that you say? “It’s raining outside so today is going to suck.” I say rainy weather is the perfect time to wrap yourself in a blanket and get lost in a good book, friend! But hey I get it, some days are just tough to get through.  Despite what Monty Python suggests, it’s not always easy to whistle instead of grumble. So If singing a few verses of “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life,” isn't cutting it, I suggest starting small. Instead of focusing on the big picture, celebrate the small victories of the day.

Having been unemployed for over a year, staying positive has not been an easy task. I was resistant for a long time to feel good about things. I found it hard to focus on anything other than the fact that I wasn't working full time. Add to this all of the rants I read on social media sites every day, the nightly news reports advertising that week’s particular massacre, and brutal winter weather, and I can honestly say I barely made it through the last six months.

Instead of allowing myself to fall victim to the negativity surrounding me, I chose to do something about it. The work situation was not something that I could fix over night. Unfortunately I didn't (and still don’t) have control over the economy.  However that wasn't a reason for me to fall apart and call it a wash. I knew that I had to do something, so I started slow. I gave myself small goals and worked up to bigger objectives. Once I accomplished something, I celebrated it.

Whether that day’s victory was going to the gym for an hour or eating only one piece of cake instead of two, I rejoiced. Slowly but surely my overall way of thinking started to change. I found myself sighing less and dancing more. Those little things that had started to drag me down on a daily basis stopped registering on my radar. For every all-caps post I came across online, I clicked on my bookmark for Dogshaming.com and found something to smile about.

Today, being happy is something I work towards daily. Some days are more successful than other days. But whether I've had a “perfect’ day or a less than stellar one, I know that I will at least find something to pump my fists about. When the big achievements come, I am sure that I will hoot and holler a thousand times more than I do on a daily basis. However why should I wait for those big moments to celebrate?

Here are some of the small victories that I've celebrated this year:

I finished the first draft of my screenplay.

I walked the High Line.

I reconnected with some old (and awesome) friends.

I joined a writing group.

I rode the subway by myself and didn't get lost.

I started a blog.

I learned how to make a pie. 

Today's Achievement: I ran on the treadmill for an entire two minutes without holding onto to the side of the machine.

Today's Celebration: A Ben Kweller dance party in my car on the way home from the gym. Victory!

  

So what’s keeping you from celebrating your everyday triumphs? Brighten your own day!

And just in case you find The Monty Python boys helpful after all: