Just Another Manic Monday (or Tues...or Wed...)

Hey, Y'all--

Been a little manic lately. Ok, alot manic lately. People used to call me a drama queen, but I think I got over that. Then they said I was addicted to chaos. Thought I got over that, but I guess it still follows me around all the time. Well, sometimes, anyway. This has been a week like that. My serenity was kinda down the tubes all week. Trouble in paradise, whatever. I try to keep my life as simple as possible, and usually I can accomplish that--that is, until I put my feet on the floor and get out of bed in the morning! LOL

Usually I find as long as my sense of humor is intact, I can handle most anything. Problem is, most people don't seem to think things are as funny as I do--or they don't see them in the same humorous light. You know I have that saying I quote: "If it ain't magic, it's tragic," meaning if I don't laugh about it, I'll cry about it. Basically, it's just that there are way too many people going around being way too serious about life...and I guess I could choose to be that way too, but WHY SHOULD I??? My life is way too serious as it is!!! Why cry over it, when it wouldn't change anything anyway, ya know?

ok, here's a "for instance." Today I was helping out a friend. He needed a ride to pick up a paycheck (he doesn't have a car at the moment), and the place was closed for lunch for an hour, so we had to sit in the parking lot and wait for that hour. He sat there and bitched and moaned the whole time. I figured it was a good chance to visit, listen to some music, even gave him a nice neck rub to get out his tension while we waited, kept a positive attitude on my part, tried to keep things light. Guess which one of us got the headache??? Same situation, two different approaches. Now, that doesn't mean I was any less aggravated that I was stuck waiting in a hot car in an undesirable, boring situation not of my own making, not able to go anywhere cuz of the gas situation, etc. But what could I do about it? And what good would getting aggravated accomplish? It got HIM a headache! And me an earful of colorful words that made me blush! And if I weren't the good friend that I am, I might have just left him in that parking lot hitchhiking his way home for his rudeness, lack of gratitude, bad attitude, bad language, griping, and overall ickiness! :) (and I sure as heck would not have given him one of my patented very relaxing neck rubs!)

I just figure that everything happens for a reason. Yes, I even believe that "wasted time" happens for a reason too. There must have been a reason (whether I ever know what it is or not is not the point) for the delay. But the point is, when something like that happens, we are faced with a choice--we can gripe and complain, CHANGING NOTHING, or make the best of it, STILL CHANGING NOTHING, but at least not getting an ulcer in the process! And if we try to make the best of a bad situation, we at least stand the chance of something good coming out of it in the process.

Case in point: A couple years ago, my son Tyler and I were in the airport in Atlanta on Christmas Eve day. I'm sure you can picture all the turmoil, stress, and aggravation abounding. They announced that they had overbooked the flight (surprise), and asked for 2 volunteers to take the next flight and they would get 2 free tickets in return. Everyone just griped and moaned. Tyler and I figured, heck, it would only mean a couple hour more delay to get home, so we took the delay and the tickets (we also got 2 free meals with them, by the way).

Oh, but here's the best part: The plane we were supposed to be on then got delayed by 2 hours, so the one we ended up taking actually left EARLIER than our original one, and we still had our 2 free tickets! So they had a flight full of aggravated passengers, while we just sat there grinning with our free tickets and bellies full from our free meals!

Anyway, the point is, I think it's all in your attitude. Life is not fair. That's a given. God never said it would be. Someone said, "Life is 1% what happens to you, and 99% how you react to it." Guess that's what I really wanted to say. When you are dealing with your emotions to the extent that we have to as people with bipolar disorder, that's a really big deal. Especially since to become stable, we have to learn to manage our emotions. So a big part of that, in my opinion, should be to learn how to become a more positive person. Am I saying to go around singing, "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow"? No, of course not. Am I saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Yeah, I think that's a bit corny, but sure. "Deal the hand your dealt, " is the way I've heard it put. Whatever happens to you, is what happens to you, and wishing it away, or wishing it were different, isn't going to change it, and ignoring it isn't going to make it go away, either.

The ugly, unfortunate truth is, the only way to get through an unpleasant situation, whether it's having to sit in a hot, boring parking lot for an hour, or whether it is facing the death of a loved one, is to deal with it. Yeah, I know--I am never happy with having to do that myself. But it really is the only way.

In my own life, I have been found to say, "If you don't like your reality, just change it!" (Yeah, I know, but what can I say?) The real truth is, if you don't like your reality, change what you can, and ACCEPT THE REST. Yeah, the old SERENITY PRAYER. Ever think that maybe the Serenity Prayer has been around so long is cuz IT WORKS?? Hmm...

Well, hope y'all are having a good week. Check in, let me know how y'all are doing!
Remember, we're all in this together!!
Blessings,
Michele