It feels like fall this morning; still pleasantly warm, but there’s a different feel to the air. The seasons are slowly changing. August will soon be over. Kids are back in school. Buses add minutes to morning and afternoon commutes. I’m so grateful Mother Nature is trying to keep us on schedule. I grieve for everyone affected by all the fires, storms, floods, tornadoes, droughts, etc., but that simply means we all need to do more to reduce our carbon footprint. It is truly disconcerting to recognize that it’s been less than 100 years since we’ve managed to turn well-established weather patterns upside down. If we are to moderate the rises in temperature that are causing all these changes, we need to make some radical changes, none of which will be easy. After all, we are creatures of habit. We like our comforts. An article in our local paper talked about ways we can repurpose, reuse, and carefully recycle, reminding us that we need only a fragment of the things advertisers want us to buy, want, or desire. This raises an important question: is convenience really all that convenient in the long run?
Making my morning coffee, I found myself singing, “It’s a lovely day today/ For whatever you want to do,/ You’ve got a lovely day to do it in, that’s true/ And I hope whatever you’ve got to do/Is something that can be done by two…..But if you’ve got something that must be done/ And it can only be done by one/There is nothing more to say/ Except it’s a lovely day today.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we woke every day feeling positive and singing, “It’s a lovely day today?” To begin the day with a smile and optimism? While that seems unrealistic, I know, is it? Aren’t we responsible for our thoughts and attitudes, our feelings? One of the important things I learned from the 12-step program is no one makes me feel anything. My feelings are the result of my response and my reaction to something. I do well to stop personalizing criticism and negative suggestions and do not need to allow others to determine them for me.
Years ago a counselor suggested that instead of feeling personally attacked when criticized, I have the option of listening to others’ criticism as information about themselves instead of an attack on me personally. What I discovered once I began following her advice was that by not personalizing others’ remarks, I freed myself from unnecessary pain and suffering.
One of the important lessons life wants to teach us is that we humans are not the center of the universe. What we do, think, and feel is important, of course, but we must balance our needs and wants with the needs of others and the environment. The Apostle Paul reminds us that when we were kids, we thought, felt, and reacted as kids, but when we are grown, we’re to respond as mature adults….which means letting go of past slights, digs, grudges, and resentments. Rather than hanging on to personal attacks, we have the option to detach from the truly toxic individuals in our lives, even if they are old friends or family members. And while difficult, we can all change for the better.
So, no matter what time you read this, my friends, I remind you, “As we say in the 12-step program, “Just for today…I can have a lovely day by living one day at a time and enjoying each moment at a time. “