Choose To See The Good In Others, In Places You Think It Might Not Exist

For the majority of my life, I’ve been the girl who could “see the good in anything”, or “is always so positive!” The girl that people would confide in for moments of sadness, loneliness, or heartache. The girl who has random people comment on how radiantly I carry myself, and whose positive attitude is infectious.

I’ve always been so appreciative of these comments, for I feel as though these people have benefited from me in some way. I wish more people shared this trait with me, but I understand why they don’t.

This world is cruel. It’s dark, it’s scary, sad, and filled with demons. People are so quick to pass judgement on someone else without knowing the struggle they may face every day. We know these things. We know how we hate, how we ridicule, how we point fingers, and assume. We are aware of the way that we are, so why continue to do so, when you can choose to see the joy?

That’s where I am. That’s what I choose to do every day. And that’s why I receive the comments I do and see the world the way that I do.

This is not to say I don’t have my moments of failure, where I fall short of this person I strive to be and become weak. I too, will make an assumption on someone, or pass a judgement, or spit my 2 cents. The difference is that I quickly realize the negative weight that it carries. For every negative thing I say about someone, or something, I try to find two positive or kind things to replace it with.

The difficult part is not being aware, it is making a conscious effort to stop the negativity. The difficult part is actually doing something about it. To remain hopeful, positive, and gracious, even when you feel like you shouldn’t.

Challenge yourself by doing this. Try to find the joy in the things where you may not know or think that joy exists. Challenge your opinions, challenge your thoughts, and challenge what you believe it is that you see. There is always more than what meets the eye, so dig deep, and search beneath the surface. That’s where all the joy is tucked away.

I am always given a hard time when it comes to my enthusiasm. As endearing as it may be, people are confused by it. Why are they confused?

Get excited. Get happy over the little things. Find joy in the mundane. Take the dull, and make it bright, by choosing what you see in it. Take the ordinary, make it extraordinary.

It’s seeing the little joys in life that will make you a happier, more gracious person. Instead of lighting a sparkler on a hot summer night and waving it around, observe it. Notice how holding the skinny piece of metal in your hand is lighting off hundreds of little fireworks in a matter of a few moments. Challenge yourself. Go beneath the surface. Instead of noticing how that person’s outfit doesn’t please you, notice the confidence in the way that they walk. Or the color of the shirt they’re wearing, and how it reminds you of your favorite flavor icecream. Challenge yourself. Be kind to one another.

Real happiness, real joy, is not about the abundance or even the quality of things or people. It is about what you choose to see in them. It takes courage to stay optimistic in a world this cruel. Smile even in the darkest hours, find beauty in everything colored gray. Find joy in the ordinary.