The other night, I was faced with several problems all coming up all at once. I felt overwhelmed by it all. I wanted to run away -- but couldn't. As I tried to deal with my feelings of anger and resentment, I suddenly could see I had the choice to become bitter about it all...It was as if I stood on a hilltop and looked out over what could be...and what I could become.
It was a sobering experience...and one that really got me thinking.
Bitterness is a choice. A lot of folk don't seem to realize that, but it is. We can either choose to allow disappointment and frustration merge with anger, or.... We can analyze why we are disappointed, frustrated, or angry. Once we know and understand the root reason(s), we can come up with options.
An important point here is that there isn't always something you can do about the things that are stressing you. Sometimes the best options are one of adapting our outlook, our expectations, how we reward ourselves (as in, how we make ourselves feel better...not necessarily a tangible reward at all), and --- probably most important of all --- our attitudes.
Something else in this that I've noticed.... People who choose bitterness, well, they are also choosing a victim's stance. The external world is beyond their control (they feel), and therefore nothing they do will help them in any way or to any degree whatsoever.
People who choose not to move into bitterness, however, are choosing a survivor's stance. Because the way to overcome the temptation into bitterness is to begin working the problem.... Problem-solving is very definitely both a way to feel better (about yourself and the world) and very much a part of a survivor's ability to maintain mental resiliency.
As for me...well, the problems aren't all sorted out, and a few more got dumped on my plate yesterday. But I've chosen to bolster my attitude of acceptance, my desire to help others, and use all this to hone my problem-solving skills. And that makes me smile once again!
