New Year, New You, No Exercise or Dieting Required!

For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction.  Who knew that Newton's third law was the secret to happiness?  Once you get this in your head, life gets easier.  In other words, for all the good stuff that happens, there is an equal amount of crap to accompany it.  It's just the way it is.  The sooner you accept it, the happier you'll be.

• Your washing machine broke?  You were fortunate enough to have a washing machine in the first place!  

• You walked ten blocks to the laundromat with a giant basket of clothes but you forgot your money? You have the ability to walk!  You have clothes!

• You have a child with a serious illness?  You were able to get pregnant and give birth! 

• Your house blew up?  You had a house!

• Your friend stopped taking your calls and hanging out with you?  You once had a friend. (Not everyone has friends in their life.)

NO ONE HAS A PERFECT LIFE.  You might see pictures on Facebook or sit next to a spiffy coworker, but I PROMISE YOU, those people have problems.  They might not be YOUR problems but there are problems.  They might have an abusive relationship, or depressive thoughts, or wash their hands 5000 times a day, or keep all their toenail clippings in a paper bag in their closet, or have a giant, hideous birthmark on their six-pack abs, or spend their entire paycheck on QVC and live with 20 cats.  Just because the problem in someone else isn't obvious to you, doesn't mean it's not there. So once you accept that no one is perfect or has a perfect life, you can stop comparing yourself to these people.

Remember, there are people living in our world right now who don't have food, clothing, a job, a home, safety.  (But they might have love, appreciation, friendship, a hopeful outlook, a family.)

So here's the big question:  Knowing what you know now, would you change anything?  Would you not buy a washing machine in the first place knowing it might break?  Would you not want the experience of being pregnant and giving birth, knowing you might have a sick child?  Would you not go to college and get your degree because your mother died while you were away?  Would you not want to be born at all because you're super short or fat or tall?

Accept that with anything good, comes some bad.  With bad, comes good.  Yes it does.  Once you turn yourself from a 'Glass half empty' to a 'Glass half full' person, your life will change 180 degrees. The movie White Christmas reminds us, "Go to sleep counting your blessings."  Try it for one week and you will see what I can't put into words.  Happy New Year!