Look at me smiling with my positive attitude through clenched teeth. Could I be any more happy?
Hurray! The World Is Caving In!
Here I am sitting in my chair feeling the pressure of the day! It’s so invigrrrating.
I have deadlines to meet and kids that don’t understand that just because I love them, that doesn’t mean I have unlimited free time. Hahaha. Kids are such a joy. It’s nice to see the world through their eyes. If I had time it would be, I mean. But, hurray!
And my editing application won’t work anymore. It’s broken for no reason. Which most likely means time fixing it or calling support or shipping it in. I guess that just means that I’ll have an opportunity to get creative about getting all this work done. Huzzah!
The water inlet to the toilet’s leaking, the dishwasher is making a crazy sound, and the washer won’t empty completely. What a great day to learn faith and resilience!
Through all of this, I get to enjoy the love of two cats that can’t decide between my lap and my desk to demand constant petting. I’m so grateful that I can have a positive attitude through clenched teeth.
Under Pressure
There’s nothing like pressure to make you feel inadequate and small. No matter how big the dreams or how close to reality they become, pressure has a way of saying “maybe you can’t do it all.”
That fear starts to weasel its way into the way we talk to people and the way we move forward. Our positivity and faith become negativity and fear. We try our best to be friendly as we sport a positive attitude through clenched teeth, knowing deep down we are angry and scared.
I have good news: this is normal. It’s been experienced by many of the most successful people. There are three simple steps to help make it easier.
Simple Steps
If you are struggling with pressure, try these three things:
- Take a breath: Often pressure builds because we don’t have breathing room. Take a breath. Step away. Close your eyes. Do whatever you need to do to stop all the stressful input for just a few seconds.
- Be Present: One of the biggest reasons I find I am stressed and fearful is because I am thinking about what could happen. Conversely, one of the reasons I find myself depressed and unhappy is because I am revisiting old mistakes and beating myself up. Almost without fail, when I focus on what is going on at this moment, without thinking about what was or what might be, I find my attitude shifts considerably.
- Plan: If there are five things concerning you, come up with a plan for each of those things to remove the concern from your mind. Do your kids need your attention? Can you give them 10 minutes then provide an activity for them to do? Do you have a leaky sink? Can you come up with a plan on how to fix it? The plans don’t have to be perfect. They just have to quiet the concern in your head.
A Positive Attitude Through A Smile
We all struggle with pressure. We all try to force a better outcome. It’s when we find ourselves mimicking a positive attitude through clenched teeth that we need to take a break.
It only takes a minute to clear your mind, focus on the moment, and come up with an action plan. Taking a step back, focusing, and building a quick plan of attack can have a huge impact on our attitude.
It just takes three simple steps, then we can have a truly positive attitude.
