Always Remember the Glass

Always Remember the Glass

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.  A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes.  It is a catalyst…a spark that creates extraordinary results.”  Author Unknown

The mind, they say, is a battlefield.  Many a battle is won or lost in the mind.  I’ve been on both the losing side and the winning side.  I’ve won a few and I’ve lost a few.  And, I’ve come to a conclusion:

Winning is more fun!

It’s what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.  It all has to do with how I see the glass.  Is it half empty or is it half full?

Always remember the glass.

Seeing the glass half empty is synonymous with negativity and pessimism.  Seeing it half full, with positivity and optimism. 

Pessimism

       loses

          hands

               down.

Having practiced both concepts for going on half a century now, I’ve learned a few things.  Call it the voice of experience.

The times I’ve spent looking upon my circumstances with hopelessness and despair sent me head long into depression.  I could not see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Everyone was out to get me.  The future looked dark, dreary and bleak.  I was bombarded with thoughts like, “Why go on?  If life is like this, it’s not worth it.  Let’s face it…things are never going to get better.  It’ll always be this way.  What’s the use?  There’s no hope for my future.” Every thought that could have crossed my mind was rolling across the movie screen of my mind like an old fashioned movie projector.  I’d become so accustomed to looking at life from a negative mind set, it came naturally to me.

It’s all I knew.

Several years ago I use to get some little pamphlets in the mail called, “Plus” by Norman Vincent Peale.  They became a real “plus” in my life.  Each of them contained success stories of various people’s lives.  I found that when I read them, I was deeply encouraged.  Little by little and day by day my life and outlook began a metamorphous into a beautiful butterfly.  My circumstances were the same.  I still had to deal with this thing called life; both the good and the bad.   But…I began to take on a positive outlook.  I no longer saw life as bleak and dreary.  If these people had successes, so could I, I told myself.  With each and every issue that came, the dark cloud over my heart and mind began to lift and shift. 

Tranformation.

Light began coursing through my darkness a little at a time and hope began to make its way through the cracks and crevices of my mind.  I began to realize our thoughts, whether negative or positive, impact us far more powerfully than what any of us realize.  Seeing the glass half empty casts shadows on our world and propels us into a deep darkness.

And a

     cycle of defeat begins…

Likewise, seeing the glass half full and being filled with optimism casts luminous light upon our worlds causing us to face life with hope and divine energy.

I found that how we choose to see the circumstances in our life is really a choice. 

Always remember the glass. 

None of us were promised a rose garden.  Sometimes life seems down right unfair.  But the battle that happens to us doesn’t matter near as much as how we react to the battle. 

We can allow our battles to make us bitter or better. 

Keep it light.  Remember to laugh.  Laugh at your circumstance.  Laugh at yourself.  If you can’t find anything to laugh about, go rent a funny movie and escape for a couple of hours. 

Start a chain reaction.

Begin linking positive thought with positive thought.  Smile.  You’ll feel better, and so will the world around you.  As you travel down this road called life:

Always remember the glass.

Reviews

[An Ordinary Woman]

We can allow our battles to make us bitter or better. ... A huge message there as I've learned personally.

I really like this hopeful and inspiring piece. I'll have to refer to it on "those" days... the hard days when I struggle. It's always nice to be able to fall back on the warm words from a friend.

Excellent writing, Friend, I love ya bunches!

[Bhavya Kaushik]

This is so uplifting and really inspired me :)
I'm really starting my life from a new scene and this writing really encouraged my moral a lot :) . I really loved the beautiful metaphor in it! I'm sure there will be more "Better" days ahead :)
Thanks a lot for sharing it here
Awesome work ! :)

[WritefromtheHeart]

Oh this is wonderful Carole...it is ALL about our attitudes. It takes us seeing that we CAN, and not thinking that we CAN'T. I just recently read The Four Agreements and it has given me a whole new outlook on my life ;-)

[Imperfection]

Very thought-provoking.

There's a lot to be learned out of this. I get a lot of encouragement out of personal success stories; experiences of people who've created achieved success out of nothing.

This piece is full of inspiration and courage. I enjoyed it very much.

My favorite line-
We can allow our battles to make us bitter or better.

[Blackbirdsong]

Thank you for passing on such a life lesson here. If only more would listen about such things, but it seems that so many seem to believe that being pessimistic or cynical is the only way to go, when in fact, they are miserable and what's worse for us, miserable to be around. They put on the pretense of being superior when its really a mask for being miserable and they will do their utmost to make you feel miserable too, and not because they want your company, but because for them that's a battle won.

You are so right that winning our battles is better...it seems simple, but all of those battles are hard fought and hard won. I know too. You did a great job with this Carole :)

[Debra Stevens Edwards (..]

This is such a true and inspiring piece with such a powerful message. I too learned this over many years of being a pessimist. Great write, Bravo.
Hugs Debby

[Daisy]

Thank you, this is the kind of pick me up I want to read. I'm feeling I'm starting a new life and am a newie on here. Already I have found friends. Reading this I know there is a road ahead that I can follow and make life happen for me. I like your positive thinking.

[Yvonne Heidt]

Of course these are words to live by. I like also how you wrote that you have been on both sides of "the glass" so-to-speak. You have a wonderful way with words that witness to all that are open to it. I loved this and I will remember...

[Dezaraye]

These are good words of wisdom, Carole. I can see that becoming a motto in life - "Always remember the glass." You're right, you know. Sorry it took so long to get here.

[Fran Marie]

Seeing the glass half empty is synonymous with negativity and pessimism. Seeing it half full, with positivity and optimism.



Pessimism

loses

hands

down.

I agree, this is such an uplifting write filled with truth and wise affirmations to read and follow on a daily basis~THanks for sharing~Fran

[Bubo]

This is very uplifting, sometimes its hard to remember that actually rather than the glass being half empty, its half full, and those battles can drag you down...........during those times I cling to all the good in myself and my life...........and remember that this time will pass, there ARE better days ahead..............thank you for sharing such a positive inspiring piece. Beautifully written!