If it was meatloaf night last night, do you look forward to leftovers tonight? Most likely, that depends on whether or not you like meat loaf in the first place. The value we place on the meat loaf, or any leftovers, determines our enthusiasm for the item when faced with it again. That simple principle can help turn anything into a positive, no matter what the event.
Taking the case of hand-me-downs, let's look at this principle a bit more. Most people would not argue with the fact that a hand-me-down blouse or shirt is not nearly as exciting as a handed down item of jewelry, particularly if the jewelry is diamonds or fine jewels. It's easy to see how the "value" of the jewelry is worth more. That is, of course, the perceived value of jewelry. However, to someone without clothing, a ring or necklace would do them little good when they need clothing. And while they could sell it, their immediate needs are for the more practical, making the shirt or blouse more valuable for them because it is immediately something they can utilize without having to go to great measures to turn it into something else.
Let's take an event instead. Imagine a rainy day - sheets of rain pouring down all day long, filling the drains with rushing water, the sidewalks with puddles, and the sky with a grey haze. Does this fill you with joy or put you in a melancholy state of mind? Some people love rainy days and others don't. Some people love the sound of the rain and the smell in the air. Others prefer the sunshine and shadows that play on the ground as the sun shifts and changes them around throughout the day. They love the heat waves that radiate off of the concrete on a hot, sunny day. The value you place on rain or sun determines the reaction and attitude you have toward that event, namely the rain. It also affects your mood for the rest of the day.
From this very simplistic principle, a greater truth emerges. The value we place on events, people, and things in our lives determines our happiness and joy throughout the day. Everyone, no matter who they are, will have good days and bad days. There will be joys and challenges, but the value we place on them has much to do with our attitudes as we encounter them. If our attitude can be one of looking for the value, the benefit, or the good to come from it, then we can face all of the joys and challenges with the same optimistic and positive outlook.
Me? I don't like meatloaf and I don't like rainy days most of the time; I like a good diamond, but I have some classic favorites in my wardrobe that I will wear without the diamonds, because they serve me better. But, I can be grateful for food to eat, clothes to wear, and an occasional rain shower that fills the world around me with green grass and flowering bushes for those sunny days that I look forward to.
For more information on Camille Rodriquez, visit her website, http://www.joyabides.com.
Or, if you would like to get information on educational coaching, homeschooling, or curricula for middle school and high school, please visit the National Homeschool Academy website, http://www.nationalhomeschoolacademy.com.
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