Sometimes, I find myself in a blue mood. In the past, I have tried to “turn that frown upside down” and to push aside those introspective, not so positive thoughts. One thing my therapy sessions helped me with is learning that ALL feelings need to be felt and validated.
I have learned that sitting with those feelings and sometimes even letting myself ruminate on the “worst possible outcome” is not a bad idea. Asking “What would I do if…?” about the worst scenario imaginable can let my brain run wild over all potential possibilities and get those worries out of my head and maybe down on paper in my journal.
Eventually, I always remind myself that no matter what challenging situations I have encountered in the past, I somehow made it through them. I recall the saying that this too shall pass, both good and bad. A year from now, or two or three or four as the case may be, whatever I am struggling with at the moment will be a distant memory.
Taking this approach helps me to appreciate the happy moments and to muddle through the challenging ones knowing that neither will last forever. ❤️
picturingpositive 
Great drawing and wonderful thoughts Beth. Just what I needed.
Thank you so much, Paul! 😊 I think sometimes knowing we aren’t alone in having “those days” is so helpful. ❤️ Thanks so much for reading and commenting! 😊
Another useful tool is to recite, “I’m okay right now. I’m okay right now.” That brings our mind back to the present.
Awesome tool, Dawn!! I like that idea! I think it would definitely help to focus my mind. Thanks for sharing! I hope you have a wonderful day! 😊
Thanks, Beth, same to you!
Great post Beth – love the drawings too! I like to look at the whole scenario, even walking down the darkest path so that I can figure out my options in a worst case scenario. Then I can go back to the present reality and move on from there. As for tears, I think we sometimes just need to clean out the tear ducts and tears are perfect for that!
Thanks so much, Janie! I think, being a planner, I like to be prepared for anything that is in the range of possibility. It makes me feel better knowing that no matter what happens, I am prepared. Of course, that also applies to best case scenarios. Those are much more fun to picture. (Winning the lottery, retiring early and traveling the world! 🌎 🤣…..guess I need to buy a Powerball ticket to have a chance at that one….haha!) Thanks, as always, for your support! ❤️
I’m better all the time at feeling my feelings….it is my thoughts I still have trouble with. Maybe the idea is the same….let your thoughts be what they are, they are not you…they are not the whole of reality. Let them pass by and enjoy the parade 😊😊
Great thought, Jim! 😊 I like the idea of the parade of thoughts passing by! 😉 Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. 😊
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I love my therapist and am filled with appreciation for his patience and kindness. You are really quite the artist! 🐶
Thank you so much!! 💓 Isn’t it amazing how much clarity therapists can give us? And (kindly) correcting us when we veer off the path of thoughts that benefit us. 😉💕😊
Yess! They are a blessing!
Aww, Beth, some of us are worried about you. You seem like your emotions are all over the place for over a year now. You’re so angry in one blog and the next blog you’re happy happy happy look at me I’m so happy and then the next one will be oh poor me I’m so sad, I hate my ex-husband, blah blah blah. Get over it, Beth. You act like you have the perfect little life on social media but deep down you’re sad and miserable and depressed. Maybe you should keep seeing your therapist? Maybe you should stay off social media?
Thanks for your concern. I surely do have my highs and lows like anyone else in this
world. I don’t hate my ex-husband, in fact, I pity him. I hope he finds happiness with his new sweetheart, but I doubt he will. I am just thankful that I am not still with him. I hope you don’t ever have to find out that your spouse has been cheating on you for years like I did. Maybe living through that has made me a bit more cynical, introspective and negative, but every day that goes by is a step closer to getting past that. Maybe you should stop reading my blog, JC.
You also seem desperate for attention. Wasn’t Ted the first man to pay you ANY kind of attention since your divorce? And you sure jumped at that. Because… you’re desperate. Desperate for people to think someone wants you… That’s why you couldn’t wait to get on social media and put it out there, right? “We had ice cream and held hands on our first date. It was so sweet”
Are you in high school?
The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak, as we are apt to think, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue.” R. Kent Hughes
I can relate to this, Beth. Thinking of worst-case scenarios and how I’d handle them actually is comforting to me. Allowing ourselves to process and understand whatever we’re feeling is so important.
You are so right about allowing ourselves to process. I think being ready for the worst makes us even more grateful when a situation turns out for the better! In any case, we are prepared for what happens. Hoping today proves to be filled with positives for you! Thanks for the insightful comment!! 🙂
Did I mention my therapist might do EMDR with me? I hope I got those letters correct.
Hmmm, I’m not familiar with that. Hopefully it is very helpful 🙂
Positive thinking is important.
It definitely is!! 🙂 Thanks for reading and for the nice, positive comment! 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
You are welcome.
I think you are referring to the uplifting method of self meditation is some useful way.
Right on: And now that I am much older, I look back at some things that really bothered me long ago and just laugh at the whole episode. Interesting how we can see things so differently later. Cheers, Muriel
Time definitely offers a better perspective! 😊 I find that some things I thought were unbearable ended up leading me to opportunities I couldn’t have imagined. 😊❤️😊 Thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to comment. 💕