Is this the end of the world?

 Today I want to talk to you about my dear friend and colleague Felicia (not her real name). She lives in the Bay Area, she has 3 kids, she's foreigner and she's black. Yesterday, during a video call, she walked out of her door, with her laptop in her hands...just to show me what she was seeing. It was noon, outisde it was pitch dark, the sky was fully orange, with a huge cloud of hashes stuck in the athmosphere (which was covering the sun). 

We stopped and reflected. 

We listed her last few months: Covid, #blacklivesmatter, riots, corfu, lockdown, wildfires, the inability to leave the country (she's on a visa),  missing her support system (she moved there recently). And now...the sun disappeared!

"Is this the end of the world?" she asked me. I was speachless...nothing clever to say seemed to come to mind. She looked at me, smiled that fantastic smile of her, and said "oh well, I guess we'd better be happy and enjoy the last bit of the world's life."

I thought about her words all night. Felicia is the living proof of how the right attitude can change your life. And you know why it does it? Because a positive attitude is a lens. A lens you put on your eyes, that like magic will make everything you look at better. 

Being positive, looking at the bright side, considering the silverlining, these are all muscles we need to train. Let's put this in practice:

Current situation: It's night, I am tired I worked a lot today. Tomorrow I have to wake up and the more I'm writing the less I sleep. My eys hurts and I whish my husband was not snoring next to me. 

Now...let's wear the lens

Current situation: it's night, such a great time to have some me time. Kids are asleep, co-worker will never reach out past midnight. There is an amazing silence in the house. I worked a lot today, a job that I love with people I respect a ton. And tomorrow is Friday, so yes I have to wake up but since I worked a lot today I know it's not going to be as full on tomorrow. And...the fact my husband snores means I know he is soundly asleep so the typing noise won't disturb him. Oh and I'm writing, which is even better than sleeping because it gives me an amazing sense of accomplishement. 

Do try this at home :) everyday, grab a pen and paper and observe your situation. Write down the "without lenses" view of something, whatever it is that is important to you. Now wear those lens, and try to look for that one thing that will make what you're seeing/experiencing better. 

Welcome to a better world, your new world of lenses and happiness.

Becky Stellin