Perspective

I have discussed the importance of this many times over the past couple of years but this past week it was front and center when I looked back on the week and thought about what came to mind. As I discussed last week… it was a rough one in here to start the month… just an emotional roller coaster and I found myself going to bed most nights feeling defeated and down on more days than not. So… when I woke up Monday morning to head to work… I told myself that I was going to have a good week. I was going to focus on the aspects of life in here that I can control… I was going to cook inventive (hopefully delicious) food at work… I was going to find the positives in whatever conversations that I was lucky enough to have with my boys… I was going to look forward to and appreciate the visits from the real ones in my life this weekend… and I was going to have tough and fulfilling workouts. I was going to force myself to appreciate the positives in my life as opposed to focusing on the negatives. And just like that… off I went to work… starting the week on the right foot.

Now… I can tell myself all of this flowery lovely-ness all I want to turn my perspective around but it is putting it into action that actually makes me feel better throughout the days and week. I think this is a crucially important piece of the puzzle for guys in here but also for life out in the real world. In the real world… we can use tangible “things” or comforts in our lives to boost our mood and shift our perspective. We can go grab that special coffee that always lifts us up… we can call a friend and go on a hike or walk… we can take our kids to the park and play hide and go seek… and watch the joy emanating off of them that forces us to forgot about our own bullsh*t. But if we don’t decide… make a conscious decision to change our mindset and outlook… these fleeting tangible sparks of joy will inevitably just lead back to the same feeling once the shine wears off. It is a conscious mindset shift that actually sustains an emotional change… no “thing” can do it for us without us deciding to do it for ourselves. I have learned this lesson many times in here because unlike in the real world… we don’t have those tangible things or options to help us brighten our days. In here… we must solely and fully rely our own mental strength to make the decision to walk out of our units and decide that we are going to make the most of the day. We must look out over the water and appreciate that we have that view… we must stop and feel the sunshine on our faces and smile because we have the ability to do so… find the joy in a work out or project that we are working on… make ourselves some oatmeal with a little extra peanut butter and maybe… just maybe… a drizzle of honey. Find the joy in the small things because these small things are all that we have but they are enough if we make that decision.

So this was my decision this past week. I decided to shed the funk of the week before and lift my chin toward the sun and tackle the week with positivity. And kneeling here on Sunday morning… looking forward to watching some football today and reflecting on the week that has passed… I had a pretty good week. I plan on enjoying the moment that I am in… walk outside and soak up the amazing sunrise over the water out there and look forward to the week ahead.

Make the decision… especially this time of year as we get close to the holidays… to see the positives in life. The “stressful” family gatherings… the meals… the travel… the good… the bad… the annoying…. the laughs… the stories… the fights… everything…. decide to appreciate it all and see how your overall experience changes because you made a conscious perspective change. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

Stay Healthy. Stay Active. The only person that can sustain our happiness is the one we see in the mirror.