Day 97 November 9, 2010

Perhaps you wonder how I manage to be such an eternal optimist?  I've seen another side of myself at other points in my life.  Throughout my twenties I was depressed off and on.  Even during some of my thirties.  Infrequently I could also go into a rage.  I was impatient.  Clueless too sometimes about what everything was all about.  Restless both physically and in other ways.

Seeing that other side of myself from today's perspective makes me realize that some of my problems were caused by a less than optimum diet, a less than optimum exercise regimen, a lack of sufficient self discipline, a lack of a truly balanced posture and a lack of a meaningful spiritual focus.  

Here is how I see the world now.  I see the positive.  I know the negative exists, but I choose to focus elsewhere.  It is a conscious choice.  Having experienced what I call a darker side of my life, I now choose what I call a brighter side.  Here is an example of my optimistic approach to life.  

Brunswick St. mural, Halifax, N.S.

In 2003 Hurricane Juan ripped the roof off of my husband David's yoga studio in Halifax.  Much of the artwork for my first solo art show was stored in his office awaiting the date to install it in an upcoming show.  Having heard that it was David's building that suffered roof damage, we travelled to Halifax together to see what had happened.  I was fearful that we could have lost both his business and my art show pieces.  Fortunately, the damage only proved severe to the studio location and the office was spared.  Of course the elevator and the entire building was in near darkness and wet.  The stairs were the only access point.

Having talked to other business owners in the same building who were standing in their ruined offices in ankle deep water sounding very upset, and having walked into David's studio to see a large, black lake of water in the middle of his studio floor, I felt fortunate for my art work was spared.  As I carried my heavy ceramic artwork down to the street on the dark, wet staircase to place it safely in my vehicle, this was the mantra that kept me going, "I am so grateful that I have strong enough legs to carry my heavy artwork down three flights of stairs."  I saw how to be grateful in the midst of that difficulty.  David was fortunate too, it turned out, for he relocated to a much improved location and my art show opened on time and was a success.  

Can you see the good even in bad situations?  How do you get through the bad times?