Celebrating Milestones and New Possibilities
Last week was my birthday, and as is my new tradition here in DC, I celebrated by visiting the Smithsonian Zoo (those meerkats always crack me up!).
Several years ago my daughter who was in her early 30’s at the time said to me,
“I’ve realized something that has made my life so much easier.”
She went on to say,
“It seems everyone’s life sucks about 30% of the time, and the other 70% is good. So when going through the 30% you just need to know that’s totally normal and you’ll get through it. And then make an effort to really enjoy and be grateful for the 70% smooth, happy times.”
Wow, I think that’s a great insight…and helpful.
In the years since then, I’ve heard other people teach that life sucks 50% of the time and is great 50% of the time.
As and optimist and a possibilitarian, that not-good-50% just seems WAY to high of a percentage for me.
In fact, for me, that seems a little depressing to think that HALF the time I spend here on planet earth will be unpleasant.
I much prefer my daughter’s pattern of 30/70. Because although life is great “above the line” (see my blog post about that here), it’s that 30% below the line that helps us really APPRECIATE the satisfying 70%.
I would take that one step further and say –
Even within your 30% difficult times, I bet you could find So Very Many other things in your life to be grateful for, which helps to make those ‘sucky times’ bearable.
And even in the 70% good times, there are always little bumps in those roads too.
I’m sharing this insight with you today because…
If you are going through a challenging chapter of your life, just remember, it’s temporary.
Keeping an ongoing gratitude journal (in your brain or on paper) will help you see solutions, appreciate the soul stretching, and give you a more hopeful perspective.
And, if you are living-in-the-70%-flow right now (or at least no major problems at the moment) be grateful for that. Again – it’s gratitude that will increase your awareness and appreciation during good times, and in that space you can inspire and lift others.
Last week was my birthday, and as is my new tradition here in DC, I celebrated by visiting the Smithsonian Zoo (those meerkats always crack me up!).
Let’s face it, it’s so easy to get caught up in the everyday hustle and lose sight of the big picture. When we’re not clear on what we want, it’s
‘Hope you’re soaking up some beautiful vibes today! I’ve been hanging out in sunny California for a few weeks, spending some precious time with my granddaughters and lending a hand
Have you ever caught yourself not saying what you really think, maybe because it felt too uncomfortable? Or found yourself hinting at what you mean, but not really being direct,
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