Keep Your Sunny Side Up

A real conversation that happened today…

– “The weather is fantastic. The sun is out again and it’s so warm”
– “I know. I wonder when it’s going to end? It never lasts very long. I expect it’ll rain any day now.”

It doesn’t sound very optimistic, does it?

So let’s state some facts. It has been sunny for the past week and so thankfully, finally!, we have what we’re always asking for. We’re definitely not spoiled for sunshine in Ireland. A real Summer is usually something we dream of or go away to experience. So we’re quick to wear lighter clothes as soon as we see a single promising ray of sunshine. Anything for a real sun tan in Summer! We spend as much time as we can outdoors and we smile more and are more sociable.

Yet habits and patterns of thinking seem to always accompany us even when the positive events are obvious and undeniable. When it rains we complain that the sun is not there. When it’s sunny, instead of enjoying the sunshine we have now, you find some people anticipating the rain to come. It turns out that if we want, we can find negatives in the most terrific of experiences.

Do you recognize some of these automatic negative responses?

“It will probably start raining soon”
“Does it really have to be this sunny when I’m at work? This is unfair”
“I’m roasting, it’s too much now”

What can these be replaced with? How can you keep your sunny side up? What words can you use instead to acknowledge that right now we have an additional reason to be happy – the sun is shining!

Decide that all you will spread is positivity. In fact it’s really simple, there is a wealth of easy gratitude if you stay in the moment. Today is good. Today there are reasons to celebrate and be happy. Appreciating the NOW helps make the best out of each moment and in this case, the moment in the sun. Regardless of circumstances you are in this moment to enjoy what it brings. This way you will also remember positive events more vividly. It will be easier to recall exactly what and when happened.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have these sunny memories handy in a rainy day in November?
Author : Joanna Sobczak