Rain

The sound of rain on the roof all night long means really good sleep for me.  It is a soothing sound and helps quiet my mind so it can rest.  When the sun comes up, however, I want it to go away.  I want the bright cheerfulness of the sun to encourage me and the flowers and the trees.

We need both rain and sunshine and, depending on the timing, both are considered healing, nourishing, and good for the soul.  How easy we forget this and grumble...the sun is too hot, blinding, irritating or the rain is too cold, dreary, and depressing.  

It's a habit to see everything around us as "too this" or "too that."  I'm working on breaking that habit.  Contentment comes when we can look at the up side and turn our back on the negatives.  I am adding a little 3 letter word to turn those negative thoughts into positive ones..."but"

"We've already gotten 3 inches of rain and it's still raining, BUT the trees are budding and the robins are building a nest on my porch."

"I got a flat tire on the way to work, BUT I didn't get in an accident and I am alive."

"I was hurt deeply by someone close to me, BUT I learned that I have a voice and I CAN set boundaries and it's OK to say "I'm not OK with xyz."

Once I get in the solid habit of turning thoughts around, it's easier for my mind to go directly to the positive thought and bypass the negative.  Some days are easier than others and I am definitely still a work in progress when it comes to being consistent with it.  

Sometimes writing it down can help, too.  I am not good at keeping a journal...I have one, it's just rarely used.  It's time consuming to write out my thoughts on paper so I don't always enjoy doing it, BUT I have my phone with me all the time and it has this wonderful thing called "notes."  I started a note that is just a list of positive things.  Every time I think of one or turn a thought from negative to positive, I jot down one word to remind me of that good thing.  It makes me happy in that moment, but also gives me a nice list of blessings to peek at when I am having a tough day.  For the really good ones, I either write about them here or actually put them in my journal.

Rain and sunshine...neither one is 100% good nor 100% bad...they are a beautiful mix of both.