You would think, after all the sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, zombie-invading, virus-spreading, evil alien movies I have absorbed I would know exactly how to handle life when things become impossible. I would know what to say, where to go, who to trust, and what to do with my thoughts. I would be game-day ready as my sports-loving friends say.
And…to a great degree…I am.
And yet, lately life has felt more like a relentless, capricious lightening strike from a crazed Zeus, or a sudden surprise attach from a mad dog…one who grabs you by the neck, shakes you, throws you away, forgets about you for a while, and then when you are least expecting it, finds you again and rips the stuffing right out of you.
Anyone relate?
Any one feel that if your own backyard is calm and happy, it’s a bit hard to stay there as the world itself is in turmoil?
Anyone ready for a smooth sail on quiet waters?
I thought today, instead of reviewing positive psychology strategies, I’d offer us a little respite with some old-fashioned humor…tiny pauses of laughter to brighten the moment and remind us that no one feeling is the entire story, and no one moment drives our destiny. Hoping one of these hits home:
- When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out. Erma Bombeck
- A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. Steve Martin
- Someone asked me, if I were stranded on a desert island what book would I bring: ‘How to Build a Boat.’ Steven Wright
- I always wanted to be somebody, and now I realize I should have been more specific. Lily Tomlin
And some inspiration:
- You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own. Michelle Obama
- Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children. Chief Sitting Bull
- We are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us to keep. Their life is in their movement, the inhale and the exhale of our shared breath. Our work and our joy is to pass along the gift and to trust that what we put out into the universe will always come back. Robin Wall Kimmerer
- It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools – friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said ‘do the best you can with these, they will have to do’. And mostly, against all odds, they do. Anne Lamott
And one last gift from our earth:
- Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light. Theodore Roethke
Sometimes we just need a break. May you find one today and all the days ahead in the corners of your world.
Love, Maria
