I had a whole plan to write on a completely different topic for today, but was inspired when I saw this quote floating around Pinterest. I instantly related to it. I was recently provided with feedback that was delivered in a not-so-nice way. While I do consider myself a sensitive person, this hit me at the core. It was as if all at once I was questioning everything I had worked for in the past several years, and if that has never happened to you, it’s not the greatest feeling ever. After a couple of hours of working through the emotions (yes, I’ll admit it, there were tears), I reminded myself that I had the tools to get through this. As I took a step back and reflected on where I was in my thought process, I realized that I was giving too much credit to the negative spiral that my mind had created. In reflective conversation, with a trusted individual, I realized that in 15 minutes I had taken a few statements and completely discounted years of hard, and successful, work.

AND, that’s where the quote enters. In life, we so often magnify the negative aspects (of ourselves, partners, friends, situations) that we essentially minimize all the good that there is (you know, the “silver lining.”).  I had to tell myself to practice what I preach to my clients. I had a choice, just like my clients do. I could chose to magnify all my faults or I could chose to take the feedback and somehow integrate it into the strengths I already possessed.

Later that day I was in conversation with an individual who was speaking with me about her cancer. In the middle of our conversation I was speechless (and that is a rarity). She told me “The one good thing about the cancer is that I only have to shave my legs every two weeks,” and she then proceeded to laugh, genuinely. This individual was doing what I couldn’t do with some measly negative feedback. She wasn’t letting the insidious nature of her cancer define her. She was choosing to magnify the positives and minimize the negatives… and what came out of it? Laughter. That was a reality check for me!

In a nutshell, watch your thoughts and how you define yourself. Magnify the positive! Don’t discount the negative, learn from it, but don’t let it define who you are, or let it have more space than it needs!

I know this was long, and I do apologize. It’s just that sometimes, well, I get inspired and this is the result! Thank you for indulging me!