It is the small things that make a full life.
I am not much of a fan of the “glass half-full, glass half-empty” adage, but it does illustrate that some people are more focused on the positive while others on the negative. The other day, my father’s friend was lamenting the end of the world with doom and gloom. My father was telling me how he was not quite on board with their negativity when I suddenly started singing, "Sha la la la la la live for today, Sha la la la la la live for today, And don't worry 'bout tomorrow hey” (Let's Live for Today by The Grass Roots). It has been playing on repeat in my head since then. It has, as much music tends to do, triggered a philosophical train of thought.
The reality of my circumstances is that my life is more fragile than most. But, the reality for everyone is that we really do not know what tomorrow may bring. While I am not advocating for full on hedonism, or ignoring the things that will make your life better in the long term, e.g. healthy living choices, it is wise to live in the present. This mindset applies to many aspects of life: appreciating the good things we have, cherishing the time we have with loved ones, not wasting too much time fretting over what may be.
I am particularly prone to fretting too much. My good friend's husband always says, "don't borrow trouble," but I am very guilty of always jumping to the worst-case scenario when anything troublesome arises. So, it seems this song on repeat has been reminding me not to worry about tomorrow unnecessarily. There is only so much we can do. Worrying is not helpful and, in fact, counterproductive.
It is unrealistic to think that every day is going to be a grand adventure, but that does not mean you cannot live each day to the fullest. It is the small things that make a full life. Happiness is found in one's daily routine and surrounding oneself with supportive uplifting people. For me, I try to take the sting out of the hard realities in life by making fun of them instead. Rather than crying about those things, which cannot be changed, I simply face them head-on by acknowledging the reality in a humorous way. Instead of feeling guilty when I am unable to help with things, I instead turn it into a joke that I am either too lazy or too pampered to participate in lowly manual labor. The truth is, I would love to help, but rather than being upset by the fact that I cannot, I choose to reframe my perspective in order to always look on the bright side of life.
The views expressed by Loa are not necessarily the view of the Ventec Life Systems, its members or the clinical board. These blog posts are the personal experiences of Loa. The blog posts are not intended to provide clinical advice or training related to VOCSN. Always consult a physician or trained clinician prior to using VOCSN. Please refer to the VOCSN Clinical and Technical Manual for detailed instructions, including indications and contraindications for use. VOCSN is available by prescription only.