Find the Good

The world is not always sunshine and rainbows. There are a lot of grayed-out experiences that stain the perception of the “good” in the world. There are wars, murderers, senseless death, diseases, homelessness, and countless other atrocities that are anything but “good.” There are also the less serious, but still bothersome, itchy rash, the baby crying on your plane, forgetting to submit an assignment, and an infinite amount of other examples of “the bad.” The world can be filled with the bad if we choose to see it that way. If we seek negativity, we will find negativity. Reasons to be outraged are everywhere and if we seek outrage, outrage is what we will get. Instead of only focusing on the negative, we should choose to find ways to seek out the good. Find the good in your days and realize that not everything is as miserable as it sometimes seems.

Finding the good does not mean you are hopelessly positive. That practice and perspective is largely ineffective especially if it is a catastrophic and serious matter. We cannot be so hopelessly positive that we avoid the facts or reality of what is going on. Finding the good also does not mean you are running from the negative. Black and white. Yin and Yang. Cats and dogs. The world has opposites. The positive and negative are parts of life we cannot escape. If we have one, we will undoubtedly have the other. You are allowed to feel the raw emotion the negativity pulls out of you and still find a way to accept the good that is out there.

Finding the good is a choice. It is by no means a “positive all the time” perspective, but finding things to recognize as “good” make the rest of the “bad” less severe. If you have had a terrible day, as you lay down for bed, choose to come up with three positive things that happened. No matter how small or meaningless each event or action was, this practice will help you turn the page of today and begin anew tomorrow. Being stuck in a cycle of negativity day after day will only perpetuate any problems you are dealing with.

Someone smiled at you on your way to work.

The orange you ate was unexpectedly juicy.

The sun peaked out from the clouds right as you stepped outside.

Your dog ran to the door when you came home from the store.

However minor the “good” was, recognizing it can make a big difference in your emotions and outlook on life. Find the good and make life a little easier.