When you are staring out of the window at the softly falling snow this holiday season, what dreams are filling your mind? Are they thoughts of what you want or a vision of how you wish your life was different?
As a child, the wish list was usually about wants – the toys, technology, or the latest fashions. However, as adults, the tendency leans towards dislikes. A wish of what could be different – having more money, a better job, or a more attentive spouse.
If you are truly unhappy with a situation in your life, really think about why it is there and what you can do to make your dreams come true. To help you, consider the following actions:
1. Be thankful for the situation or the problem. Challenges are what make us grow as individuals and the act of simply being thankful, will put you in a positive mind set. “I’m thankful I have a job.”
2. Is the situation beyond your control or can you make a change? Make opportunities, not excuses, and take positive action. Have an honest conversation with your superior about your needs. “I would like to apply for that promotion.”
3. If the situation is beyond your control, you can at least change your attitude. Do not dwell on mistakes or failures, but look at them instead as learning opportunities. “I have put forth my best effort in this relationship and my partner is not giving me what I need.” Then perhaps, look for a way to change your expectations or get counseling together.
4. “This too shall pass”. Perhaps your personal life is affecting your job and is causing short term chaos. Get support from others who you trust and rely on to get you to the other side. All times of joy do not last forever and neither do times of sadness or conflict.
Really consider what it is you are wishing for and its consequences, just as the character George Bailey discovered in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Fallen upon hard times, George wished he had never been born. The gift of seeing what life would have been like without him, gave George the appreciation for the life he was living, even the hard times. Remember, experiences, good and bad, are all a part of this wonderful life.