Silver Lining.

Things are not always as they appear.

The rip current that can sweep you out to sea isn’t that obvious from your beach chair.

Yet, appearances hold such a prominent place in our lives.

That view from your beach chair – WOW – this has to be shared!

We rely heavily on first impressions, tending to judge a book by its cover. Or a situation from a fleeting glimpse. Social media has us convinced that everyone is living the high life – there are no bad hair days!

So, a downturn is well, just plain bad news: nothing good can come from this.

When something does not unfold as expected, more often than not, our focus will be on the shortfalls; how the situation did NOT meet our expectations. The picture isn’t perfect.

It appears the tides have turned – and not in our favour – we are now heading into the eye of the storm.

The bleak situation makes room center stage for the negative protagonist: type-casting at its best!

Understandable. As an A-type, I love everything about goals, plans and pushing limits. I live to anticipate, manage and organise.

So, what happens when things do not fall into place?

Because, such is life. There is only so much that is within the realm of our control.

Accidents occur.

Plans change.

Kids rebel.

Injuries manifest.

Colleagues disagree.

Rain happens.

And those are the easy disruptions that can cloud our sunny days.

What if, faced with a crappy situation, we took the time to peel back the layers and see what’s underneath the deception? What if we dug a little deeper and scraped under the surface of the sadness? What would we uncover?

Did that accident allow for greater gratitude about your health?

Did postponing that supper give you a chance to be more present with your friend?

Did you get to witness the comeback kid in action – finding his path and forging his way?

Did that lingering injury and forced rest permit you to reaffirm a passion with renewed vigor?

Did the disagreement with that colleague clarify your professional projections?

Did that rainy day during your vacation allow you to actually rest and reset?

There has to be some good buried underneath that pile of crap that lands on us, right?

Building mental toughness.

Creating gratitude.

Being present.

Granted, looking for that silver lining on a rainy day may be easier than trying to figure out what good can possibly come from a tragic illness, the end of an important relationship or the death of a loved one.

And for those big tragedies – the dig will be long, hard and probably ongoing.

But the more we practice the daily search for the positive spin, the easier it will be to find that pearl buried in the oyster. No matter how small. No matter how deep.

It’s a matter of perspective, perseverance and presence.

So, let’s shift our sails – as always, with Grit&Grace.