It's a question I've recently asked myself because I'm discovering more and more just how much the negative impacts the other pieces in my life.
That something can be a someone or a someplace. It can be a habit or an organization. Something can be a relationship or an obligation.
Life is full of little (and big) things that can affect that symbiotic relationship that is your universe.
I started chewing on this question because I was thinking about a commitment I made years and years ago. It was a commitment that used to be enriching and exciting, but over time has left me feeling empty and disappointed.
For a while I've harbored hard feelings about this commitment. It affected my social circle and how I spent my free time and money. I grew bitter about the void this commitment made me feel, and it felt more like an obligation than an opportunity.
And then I realized I was the one who held the power in my own life.
Rather than stewing about something that didn't make me feel good, I focused on what does make me happy. My closest friends make me happy. My home and neighborhood make me happy. My work makes me happy.
And I've reminded myself of other things that make me happy but happen to be missing in my life.
For more than a year I've stepped back from socializing. No more happy hours. No more crowded bars. I just don't need to see and be seen or work a room. But I've also dialed back on the intentional interactions.
I need to work harder at making those moments happen.
Running has returned to my life. Each morning, I dread putting on my gear and stepping outside for a trip around Downtown and OtR, but my racing heart and clear head quite appreciate the exercise.
What makes you feel bad?
Is it a relationship you need to change or address? Is it a habit you want to kick? Maybe it's a family obligation or funky office dynamic.
Whatever the case, think about how you want to improve the moment or experience, and confront it head on. If there's no hope in making a change, think about how you want to remove the situation entirely.
It could call for a relationship break-up, a move, a job change or other resignation. Those are really scary things sometimes. But by making a big change in your life, you open yourself up to new things that can make you feel good.
We each have the power to grow more good - in us, around us, and in others.
Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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