I Pick Myself Up and Get Back in the Race

My wife is amazing. I should always start my blog post with that sentence. She said something to me this past week that really got me thinking. I’ve had a difficult month. I guess I’m one of those people that you can read easily. I should never plays cards. I fell or let myself fall, into a bit of a depression. If you’ve ever done that yourself maybe what I’m about to type is relatable. Why does feeling bad feel – so good? I wallowed in my own misery.

My mom has used the term “poor pitiful Pearle” before. Last weekend, I could relate. I spent some time thinking about it this week and this is what I decided – it was easy. It was easy for me to sit like a lump on the couch. To mope around the house. To feel like that grey rain cloud over my head followed me everywhere I went. Sadly, to not do something I truly love, write. No, it was easy to do none of those things and just soak up the sadness. This is where my amazing wife drops a little knowledge my way. I can safely tell you now; I would be lost without her.

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it.”Tweet

My beautiful wife said, “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it.” Boom, microphone drop. I’d heard this before and she didn’t come up with the phrase but the words hit home. Sure, we all have bumps in the road, detours we weren’t expecting. Motorists that cut right in front of you and almost cause an accident. Wait that last one just happened last night. Hmm, how to react? For the motorist, I did my best at defensive driving to avoid an incident. Everyone in the car was safe and that is really the most important thing. Hand gestures, flashing of lights, zooming up close behind the person, these are all easy things to do, but this life isn’t easy. I kept my cool and continued on for a fun evening with friends.

For the week that was, I took my wife’s words to heart. I embraced my situation head on. Was it difficult? Sure, it was hard every single day of the week. What was different – my approach. I thought about how I had been moping on the couch. I knew how that felt and the outcome. Frankly, I didn’t like it. So, I tried a new path. It’s amazing how you, yourself, go through a day and the impact you have, but maybe don’t realize, on people. Your greetings, gestures, eye contact, tone of your voice. Perhaps even words you type in a blog entry. This last week, it was how I reacted. I had a good week. I felt better about my circumstance. That one phrase allowed me to look at things in a new light. I know longer felt like “gloomy Gus.” I felt more like – well me.

It’s easy to get caught up in the little things and let them consume you – trust me I know. It can eat away at you if you’re not careful and cause undue tension in your life and relationships. I know this much, life will continue to happen. I will have great days, I will have tough days but how I approach those days is up to me. The choice I make for myself, my wife, my family.

You have a choice too. Look someone in the eye on a handshake; hold an elevator door for a stranger in your building or a kiss to your wife out of the blue for no reason. Well, in my case because she’s awesome – and the most beautiful woman I will ever see. Need to go react right now – and why wouldn’t I?

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