How full is your glass?

[Square Wheels]

For most of my life I've been a very negative person, always looking for the bad in things.  The worse I felt the more I looked for the negatives.  It was a terrible cycle.

For the past 10 years of so, I've tried to be more positive.  It's a lot of work, but it makes me feel a lot better.

I used to whine and complain about everything, the weather, sleeping, work, people, news...  I stopped.  Or at least mostly stopped.  It's really easy to go back to my old habits, but again, I work hard at trying to see the positive.

[Rattlecan ★]

I have always been positive. I've had a failed marriage and a failed business, and through it all, I was able to see the silver lining.

 I guess I suffer from the "sun will come out tomorrow" syndrome.

It was a revelation to me to discover that many people believe positive, ie. contented people do nothing to make the world better. There may be some merit in that philosophy, but I'm too old to become a whiner.

[Dirtyhip]

My cup overflows.

I am pretty positive most of the time. My biggest frustration is idiotic people and their annoying ways.

[Kirby]

I always think about the worst for planning purposes, but try to look at what actually has happened and view it as positively as possible.  Every so often things can get overwhelming and it's harder to stay positive, but generally I tend to look on the happy side.

[Zealot]

Just now, Kirby said:

I always think about the worst for planning purposes, but try to look at what actually has happened and view it as positively as possible.  Every so often things can get overwhelming and it's harder to stay positive, but generally I tend to look on the happy side.

This is exactly how I've  envisioned you.

[Square Wheels]

Ahh, @Kirby mentioned planning ahead.  I try to never do that anymore.  I don't manage disappointment well.  Examples, last Friday was my birthday.  We knew of a nice bakery where we were going, I wanted a gluten-free cupcake.  Sorry, we only have those on Saturday.  No hours posted for Saturday, when we returned, they were closed.  Then Friday we were looking forward to my carb-loading gluten free pasta.  Pasta was fair, service was the worst I've ever had (some birthday).  Then Sunday we went to a place the had yummy gluten-free pancakes.  Sorry, only french toast with mediocre bread.

Lot's of food disappointments over the weekend, but only because I was looking forward to things and got let down.  I have gone back to not looking forward to things.

[The_Karen_Cooper_Incident]

Some days I want to eat a bullet.   Some days I don't. 

I  have found that when I focus on gratitude,  my emotions level out. 

SF 

[SuzieQ]

I have a little space at the top

[Road Runner]

 

[Nate]

I'm grateful for everything I have and I know how fast it can all be taken away

that's why I go to Church every Sunday. Not for what I might get out of it for myself, but to show my gratitude to God for looking after me

 

[Randomguy]

I never complain and I am always optimistic.  I poop rainbows, then unicorns come and clean up that poop.

Life is good.

[Zealot]

2 hours ago, Shu Fang said:

Some days I want to eat a bullet.   Some days I don't. 

I  have found that when I focus on gratitude,  my emotions level out. 

SF 

I can relate to this, couch. I think most days I am very thankful for all that I have.

But there are down days, when the world seems cloaked in monochrome.

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

3 hours ago, Dirtyhip said:

My biggest frustration is idiotic people and their annoying ways.

Just trying to keep you grounded sunshine.

[Wilbur ★]

It is good to be positive.

 

[ChrisL]

I tend to be a glass half full guy.  My wife more so the opposite.  When something happens I'll try to find a positive in the event or experience while my wife will just say the whole thing just went to sheot.   Although when it comes to people I do tend to be guarded and don't give my trust until earned.  I don't like getting burned by people. 

[Longjohn ★]

It's hard to be positive when you have negative blood. The blood bank likes you though.

[az_cyclist]

For the most part I am laid back and positive.  Having said that I do plan for more difficult times.

[LoneWolf]

9 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

For most of my life I've been a very negative person, always looking for the bad in things.  The worse I felt the more I looked for the negatives.  It was a terrible cycle.

For the past 10 years of so, I've tried to be more positive.  It's a lot of work, but it makes me feel a lot better.

I used to whine and complain about everything, the weather, sleeping, work, people, news...  I stopped.  Or at least mostly stopped.  It's really easy to go back to my old habits, but again, I work hard at trying to see the positive.

I've been that way too, but with one exception.  The negatives made me feel that way, many of them outside of my control.  I wasn't always that way.  There was a time when I expected (or thought) that mankind was essentially good, and I saw positive in most things.  Then later, I wanted to believe that but struggled with it.  Now I believe that individuals can be decent, but mankind as a whole, I have very little faith or trust in.  It took a fair amount of my life to transition from the first stage to the last (it spanned around three decades) and a fair amount of actions on the part of other people to erode those expectations and thoughts.

Now, I accept being that way for what it is, and get on with my life.  Trust and respect are never given without being earned first.  Only people who have earned those get the benefit of the doubt.

Some people might "If that's your view, how do people ever trust or respect you?"  I guess I'd reply that I don't always trust or respect myself either --and that I understand that if I want either of those values from someone else (and I don't require or need it from just anyone), that I too, have to earn it.

[LoneWolf]

8 hours ago, Dirtyhip said:

My biggest frustration is idiotic people and their annoying ways.

You'd make a great systems administrator.

[Airehead]

Isaac Pennington wrote that it is not enough to read of Christ, you need to feel him in your life. (I'm probably paraphrasing that.)

Anyway, I try to take my experiences and figure out the positive messages in them.  So by default, when I am thoughtful I am pretty durn positive because of  the many  gifts in my life.  When I am more egocentric or hurried, I am less positive.  I prefer positive.

[LMichael70]

On my ride yesterday I stopped to see old acquaintance and wife, sad to say he died a week earlier :-) sad story. He had a car wreck in 1988 and given a transfusion that was tainted with hep C .And he fought for 28 yr. Met a nice woman and married but died  63.  So on my ride home with tears I felt a little selfish for not being thankful  for what I have been blessed with..    Mike

[Zephyr]

I am an eternal optimist.  So I am not sure if I am happy that I have half a glass, or happy that half my potential load I could be carrying is gone, but I am pretty sure I am not the third guy

[Zephyr]

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

13 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

I wanted a gluten-free cupcake.  Sorry, we only have those on Saturday.  No hours posted for Saturday, when we returned, they were closed.  

looking forward to my carb-loading gluten free pasta.  Pasta was fair, service was the worst I've ever had (some birthday).  

Then Sunday we went to a place the had yummy gluten-free pancakes.  Sorry, only french toast with mediocre bread.

Lot's of food disappointments over the weekend

I'm pretty sure bacon is gluten free.

 

And why do people always talk about a 'glass'? 

I see nothing wrong with substituting a 55 gallon drum for the 'glass'.  That way my 'half full' 55 gallon drum contains a couple hundred times more of whatever all the other people are half filling their glasses with.

[Pokey]

People suck and sometimes I'm grumpy.

But...overall, I have things to be thankful for and I need an occasional poke to remember that.