Not Upset or Hopeless

There are a lot of people out there who see everything that is going on and can't help but look at it with a critical or cynical eye. I can't blame them. There are a lot of awful things going on in the world. I've been connected to some of it lately. They are overlooking the good things. It's true that those aren't as easy to see, because of all the chaos that media and social media like to throw in our faces (after all, they have always specialized in sensationalism), but the good things absolutely exist. There's hope, and I'm saying that as a person in a bit of a sticky situation, too. I can't help but feel that there's something good out there waiting for me to find it and figure it out. 

I came across this meme going around on Facebook that explains me well:

"Unfortunately, I am more sensitive 

than I seem. So if you didn't think

it hurt me, it did.

I chose to stay quiet

and avoid the drama."

Then after reading that and realizing how true that was for me, I thought about how the message can be seen as dark and slightly twisted humor, but it's not necessarily negative. We see every day what happens when people react otherwise. I find that causing drama out of these types of situations only exacerbates it with little to no advantage for anyone. The only thing it's certain to accomplish is extending the pain.

The next question comes to mind, Doesn't staying quiet mean an unhealthy practice of bottling up feelings because you're not expressing them? No! It's not always making it worse! In fact, many professionals recommend that if you're feeling a lot of hurt, then it might be better to take a step back and evaluate the situation before deciding to react. I know it works. I've had to do it a numerous number of times. Even with the ones when the pain hits hard, it really helps not to react too much. It helped when interactions didn't work the way I wanted. It helped when I lost my job.

Being able to step back and think about the situations have helped me gain perspective, about myself as well as about those involved. I'm not the type of person inclined to hold grudges, so I have no one I can think of whom I want to revenge, not do I feel anger toward. I have a chance of becoming better, and they do, too. We're all learning and growing, so I hope things go well for us all!

Lantern Festival I attended in September.