4 am Wake Up Call

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to an amazing group of women, and it was honestly the most fun I have had in a long time.  My big sister from my sorority asked me to come and speak to a group she is in; this was an amazing opportunity to speak to a new group of people and share my story with them, the down side- I work full time (the event was on a work day) and it was at 9 am (I live four over 4 hours away). I could have turned it down, saying I couldn't get work off, or that it was too far of a drive, but sometimes we do crazy things for the ones that support us- so I said yes.

I got up at 4 am and started driving to the middle of Wisconsin; it was dark the first 3 hours of my drive.  Now, I could have been really grumpy about this. By no means would anyone ever describe me as a morning person. I strongly believe if you are up at 4 am it should be because you are still having fun from the night before. Needless to say I could have made this the worst road trip ever; but I chose to see this is a positive light. I was able to take the first few hours of my trip and listen to music that I like with no commercials (thank you spotify), I actually got to listen to the lyrics and found new meanings in songs that I have never actually listened to.

After driving for a few hours I stopped at my favorite fast food restaurant and grabbed breakfast; this is a treat I allow myself anytime I am on the road; I go to a restaurant that isn’t by my house, so it’s a special treat just for road trips.  After I got back on the highway with the best breakfast sandwich ever invented the sun started to rise.

As the sun was coming up I saw one of my favorite things, FALL!  I live in Chicago and we don’t have trees here – not the kinds that turn colors and look like they have been painted. I am driving down the highway and I have an old barn to my left and a flock of sheep to my right and the road is in between two bluffs that are covers in maple trees that have turned orange and red and yellow. Did I mention there was fog; it was like driving through a painting! I never would have seen this beautiful sight if I had not had been asked to speak to these amazing women.

Sometimes we struggle looking for the good in the things that are happening to us, I could have been so angry and bitter that I had to get out of bed; instead I got to experience the true beauty in nature and I met an awesome group of women. Having the ability to take what could be a hard situation and looking to find the positive in it is a skill that everyone has- some people are just better at it than others.  Just like any other skill, shooting free throws, knitting, or dancing, you have to practice. 

It takes a lot of practice to become good at seeing the positive in a bad situation, and this is something that I still struggle with.  Some days it is  easier than others, and in some situations it is really hard to see the good things. I encourage you to have a few people in your circle who are great at seeing the positive, so when you are struggling seeing it yourself you have someone you can talk to who can point out the good to you.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason; some events just take longer for the good to appear.  I also believe that at times you need to be angry, or hurt, or upset; you need to get it out of your system so you can get past that emotion to see the good in the situation.  Having the ability to move from anger to a positive emotion is what will allow you to move past the event and move your life forward instead of dwelling on the negative events.

Remember, this is a skill and it will take time to develop this skill – so don’t force it. Don’t compare your ability to someone else’s ability, and if you need help don’t be afraid to ask someone you trust. Don’t let a 4 am wake-up call make you so angry that you miss the beauty that is going on around you.

You have it all & Confidence,

Lyndsay