When something goes wrong there is often a silver lining within the problem – something that either didn’t go wrong or that worked out despite the problem. We call these things small blessings. If you can always keep a weather eye out for small blessings and then celebrate them then things may not appear so grim.
Here are some tricks to help you find the silver lining in almost any situation.
What else could have happened?
A couple of weeks ago there was a big storm that swept through Atlanta. I had some HUGE (I do mean HUGE) branches come down in my yard.
The debris was everywhere. Leaves, small branches and those branches that were so HUGE I had to get help cutting them up and removing them were cluttering up my garden. It was a mess!
Here’s the silver lining. Nothing hit my house. The ornamental plants I have scattered throughout my garden were also fine. I was fine. It was a small blessing that my house was spared from any damage.
The message here is to look at what has happened, think about what else could have gone wrong, that didn’t and then celebrate. Yes. I said Celebrate! Celebrate the fact that some things went right.
Here’s another example of looking for the small blessing
I have a new car. If you don’t live in Georgia, you probably don’t know that many of our highways are under construction. It seems that there is construction on almost every road I drive down. About ten days after I picked up my new car, I was driving down the highway minding my own business when all of a sudden, I heard a loud CRACK. Something hit my windshield. I think it was a largish piece of gravel from the construction on the roadway. Sure enough, a crack started spreading across the windshield on my brand-new car.
Here’s the silver lining. I wasn’t injured. It didn’t cause me to have a car accident involving another car. My car wasn’t damaged beyond repair. In fact, I didn’t get the windshield fixed for almost a month. The small blessing was that the rock must have been on the small side. If it had been any larger It probably would have shattered my windshield and caused me to have an accident. I was a little shook up but also very happy that I wasn’t hurt.
Glass Half Full
People who view the glass half full are optimists. They look for the small blessings in every situation. Instead of seeing a glass half empty, they see that there is still water to drink. Here is an interesting article on this topic of viewing a glass half full.
Look on the Bright Side
When you look on the bright side of a situation, you are actively seeking the small blessings. You want to know what else could have gone wrong and you celebrate all the little things that went right.
If you want to reorganize parts of your home, think first about the parts of your home organization that are working for you. The things that ARE working are the small blessings. Organize one small area at a time. Look on the bright side, you only reorganize the parts of your home organization system that aren’t working. Celebrate everything that works for you!
For guidance in creating organizational systems that are tailored to you, explore the Clear Space for You online clutter support group and the Ask the Organizer Facebook page.
Diane N. Quintana is a Certified Professional Organizer® owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize in Atlanta, Georgia. Diane specializes in residential and home-office organizing and working with people affected by ADD, hoarding challenges, and chronic disorganization. Please contact Diane for a free 15-minute phone consultation.