Not Always Happy

It's been a while since I've quoted the book, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff." by Richard Carlson, Ph.d. But the man perfectly put into words what I've been feeling lately by saying, "Be grateful when you're feeling good and graceful when you're feeling bad." I've been feeling really, really, REALLY bad lately. I feel like I've been smacked upside the head by a crapstick! But I'm hesitant to complain because I'm also aware of how infinitely blessed I have been. I'm trying to find that place where I can be comfortable with the fact that things don't always have to be great. Carlson goes on to say, "The happiest person on earth isn't always happy. In fact, the happiest people all have their fair share of low moods, problems, disappointments, and heartache. Often the difference between a person who is happy and someone who is unhappy isn't how often they get low, or even how low they drop, but instead it's what they do with their low moods. How do they relate to their changing feelings?" (Carlson, pg. 139).

"When you observe peaceful, relaxed people, you find that when they are feeling good, they are very grateful. They understand both positive and negative feelings come and go, and that there will come a time when they won't be feeling so good. To happy people, this is okay, its the way of things. They accept the inevitability of passing feelings. So, when they are feeling depressed, angry, or stressed out, they relate to these feelings with the same openness and wisdom." (Carlson, pg. 140).

Janet