Surviving Fitness

Six months ago, my husband’s company announced that “due to the economic downturn” they were going to be making a 25% “reduction of force”.

Unfortunately, my main man was one of those “lucky contestants” to receive a departure invitation. As of today, he still has not been able to find permanent employment. With Thanksgiving past, and Christmas closing in, we realize this years celebration will be muted. A common reaction at this point would be to feel any number of emotions; panic, anger, frustration, or sadness, just to name a few. Actually, I have felt all of these. But do I really have a right to complain when so many others are suffering in similar circumstances? In fact, when considering the entire global population, we are still solidly in the top 5%.

I was a pre-school music teacher for ten years.  One of the favorite’s was called the “Smiley Song”:

If You Chance To Meet A Frown
Do Not Let It Stay
Quickly Turn It Upside Down
And Smile That Frown Away

No One Likes A Frowny Face
Change It For A Smile
Make The World A Better Place
By Smiling All The While

Simplistic thinking? Sure. But are times really so hard we can’t smile anymore? Of course not.

Research studies have shown that the people who spend time smiling, and thinking positively are MUCH more likely to be healthy both physically and emotionally. A Positive Dieter loses more weight. A Positive Exercizer builds more muscle. A positive person has power!

So, how can we be one of these powerful positive people, when everything is going wrong. How do we “turn our troubles upside down”? I think it has everything to do with our attitude and our focus. There is so much beauty and good in the world. Do we see it? We have food to eat, and clean water to drink. Do we taste it? We have shelter to live in, and clothing to wear. Do we enjoy it? We can read and write! Do we use it? We have family and friends. Do we cherish them?

Will it be hard to remain positive? Yes. Will days come that cannot be ‘set right’ ? Of course. Some days we just have to survive. However, all is not lost. The sun sets even on the worst of days. A new dawn turns the darkness upside down, and brings hope. Singer/songwriter Chris Rice illustrates this concept perfectly in “So Much For My Sad Song“!

Still Surviving – HK

Filed under: Attitude, Fitness Tagged: | Attitude, Chris Rice, economy, Fitness, happiness, Health, perspective, sad, song, sorrow, trouble, unemployment