Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Half Empty or Half Full?

This weeks Writer's Post Blog Hop's host is Angela at Journey of Life.  Thank you Angela for the thought provoking picture prompt.

     As the days draw closer to Thanksgiving, I have begun to reflect on what I have to be thankful for and whether my proverbial glass in life is half empty or half full.  That is a good question, and Angela’s prompt demands an answer.  I have stared at the picture prompt for most of the week thinking about what my take is on this subject.

 


       When I was younger I was a pessimist due to circumstance.  My glass was half empty and I couldn’t begin to imagine how it would ever become half full let alone come to the point of overflowing with happiness.  At that point in time it was a lot easier to imagine my cup half empty if not overflowing with despair.  Those experiences in my life taught me that it was all about attitude.  I chose to let circumstance beat me.  I chose to be depressed.  I chose to care what everyone else thought.  I was so deeply mired in my own unhappiness I was forced to take antidepressants to cope with everything that was going on.


      At some point in life my attitude changed.  My cup began to look half full and at some points overflowed with happiness.  My attitude changed.  I forgave myself for mistakes and the ultimate sin of not being perfect.  I forgave myself for failing.  I decided I was going to live each day one day at a time.  I was going to adopt the attitude my mother had…if not today, maybe tomorrow I can.  



      Life became funny.  I began to laugh more.  I got a little more silly instead of broomstick up my a$$ serious, and you know what?  Life got a whole lot easier to endure.  At times, life is downright enjoyable.  I learned to quit worrying about what I didn’t have and began celebrating what I do.  Every week I amuse the hell out of the cashiers at my local grocery store.  Me, the person who grew up practically allergic to math, can be seen working through the store subtracting each item’s price from how much money I have until I have absolutely everything I need plus a bit more.  When I approach the check out, I watch patiently as each item is ringed up.  When the total is announced I actually celebrate the fact when I have money left to my name even if it is only a dollar.  Some folks would moan about the fact that they only had a couple dollars left to their name.  Not me, I giggle and celebrate!  YAY!  I have a whole dollar left!!!


        I have changed with age.  Where I used to worry myself sick all the time about things which were out of my control, now I let it go and let G0d worry about it.  I choose to enjoy life.  I choose to live my life with my cup overflowing or half full.   It is your choice how your life is going to go.  Why not enjoy it and let go of things you can’t do anything about?  If you are doing your best that is all you can do.  If you are doing that, you are a success.  You are a survivor, and in the grand scheme of things life is what you make it.   I choose to be optimistic and count my blessings.  I choose to have my cup overflowing or at the least half full until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
 

  

18 comments:

  1. I love this, Kathy! That just sounded so much like you--being able to giggle with a whole dollar left.
    And you should be very proud of yourself for living your life to the fullest with the half-full view.

    Thank you for linked up!

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    1. Journey of Life, yes me giggling and shouting YAY I have a dollar cracks up everyone around me. High fiving my kids because I got everything I needed and actually have money left. People probably think I am three sandwiches short of a picnic. I'm happy, so I don't really care what they think. LOL Thank you for stopping by to read, for such a wonderful prompt to write about, and for your kind comments! ♥

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  2. I need to do that, make such choices. The hardest thing for me really is to stopy worrying about things I can't change, have no control over. SO hard to do! That stuff just goes around and around in my brain. Maybe it really is a conscious decision you just have to make.

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    1. Sandra, never think that it wasn't hard to get to this point. I had something happen this last week that sent me in a tail spin. I was so worried...but then I stood back and prayed and let it go on the most part. It is a definite conscious decision. You have to let it go and forget about it and trust G0d to take care of it! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments. ♥

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  3. By gum we are so much alike. I was doing the mental math today, rejoicing in the leftover money from groceries that made me decide to splurge and get my honey a can of Coors Light and a lottery scratch ticket. It IS the holidays after all...lol I was a half empty person too till Russell came and rescued me. I have so much to be thankful for!! :D

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    1. JoJo, isn't that the greatest feeling when you have money left? Love it!! Thank G0d for Russell for you, and my husband and kids for me. I don't know where either of us would be without them. Thank you for stopping in to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  4. Your blog name drew me in when I first started reading it. I love the image I have in my head of a giggling truckers wife! I am a worrier by nature, and if I could change one thing about myself, I would let go of some of it. But, I am positive, so that helps counter the worrying. I agree that age changes you, but for me experience did too. Happy Thanksgiving my giggling blog friend! Keep it up!

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    1. Winnie, Experience definitely helps. You have to earn you whiskers as my dad used to say through all the battle scars of every day living. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and thank you so much for stopping by to read and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  5. I have always had a great outlook--and have always found my cup half full if not overflowing. It hasn't always been a bed of roses nor has it always been easy--but in all things, good or bad, I've always been able to find something to be thankful for--not matter how small. And I would always say--when I found that one thing to be thankful for--"It is something. It is a start."

    Great post, Kathy :D

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    1. Jenn, Amen my dear friend!! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  6. Love your outlook on life. When someone asks me if the glass is half full or half empty - I always ask if someone is drinking from it or pouring liquid in it - I tend to over think everything. Great post.

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    1. Lanthie, LMAO that is funny, but so true! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  7. I used to be a complete pessimist, life just appeared completely dismal...I looked at my faults and flaws rather than what was good about things. Like you, this was due to circumstance. It's strange that it's taken a break up and shattering of everything I had to make me see the good things in life...it has altered my way of viewing life.

    Strange really! (Love this post btw Kathy!)

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    1. Loki-Lou, I have found that the worst possible trials of your life will reap the benefits of how you perceive everything from then on. There is always good that comes from it whether it be perception or inner peace. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  8. I find it changes on a daily basis - certainly the more chilled you get about life the fuller that glass gets

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    1. Glen, Amen!!! You said it in a nutshell! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  9. You obviously made the right choice of looking at everything half-full. Now I bet you have your cup overflowing with smiles and laughter. You are so right, it's all about choices. After all, we choose the kind of life we have.

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    1. Anne, At this point it really don't doesn't take much to make me happy to my toes. A kind comment will fill me with happiness, a smile, being able to get everything I need with what I have. I am so thankful. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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