Flipping the Switch

Turn on the positive, turn off the negative

There have been two pieces of industrial-sized equipment whirring away in our master bathroom for the past two days, the result of a “water intrusion” incident.  This being the third such occurrence in less than two and a half months.  I will not bore you with the details, but there is an issue with the main line in our condo building that is in the process of never maybe someday hopefully soon being repaired.

We were favored with good luck in that we were home each time the water started flooding intruding into our home. Luckier still, my husband had the foresight to purchase a shop vac a few years ago, allowing him to diligently vacuum up bucketsful of water until the plumbers arrived.

Me, only let’s be real, in sweats instead of a dress

Wait…favored?  Good luck?  You may be asking how I can use these terms in the face of multiple incidents.  Believe me, five years ago I would have seen things in any entirely different, and much darker, light.  Instead of this post I would be writing a profanity-filled, anger-fueled rant that would make your head spin (think a female version of Ralphie and Randy’s dad in A Christmas Story, only with more cursing and less lovable grump).

I am thankful to say, however, that today I can tell a different story.  I have learned, through trial and error, and through taking one step forward and two steps back, how to change my outlook.  I am now in control of how I view things, and more importantly, how I allow them to effect my life.  I touched on this in a prior post, but I believe it bears repeating.  With conscious effort you can choose to turn a negative into either a positive, or at the least, a lesser degree of negative.


This is how I am able to “flip the switch” and to see the upside to our water woes.  Yes, it has been an inconvenience, but it could be worse.  If we had not been home the carpeting would have gotten soaked and possibly ruined.  Yes, as a condominium unit owner it can be frustrating having to follow the steps required to have the issue resolved.  We do have a home to return to each day, though, and that is something to be grateful for.  Plus, once the dust has settled (or in this case the water has receded) we will likely have a new floor at no cost to us.

When faced with an unpleasant or an inconvenient situation I urge you to try “flipping the switch”.  Take a moment to step back and analyze just how big the event or issue is in the grand scheme of your life.  Am I stuck in line at Walmart behind the woman who has four separate transaction due to coupons, and is it slowing me down?  Sure it is. Do I know her story? I do not. I can take a peek at her cart, however, and see baby food and diapers. So maybe I can create a story, and I can see that she is trying to feed a family of five on one income without having to go on public assistance. Or perhaps she is setting aside her savings to pay for a college education, or a dream vacation, or to pay medical bills for an aging family member.  Now, do my extra fifteen minutes in the store seem quite so important?  Not really.

I am not naive, and I understand that there are bad days.  There are situations where it may be too hard, if not impossible, to find a positive.  I am not advocating the burying of one’s head in the sand.  I am simply asking that each of us take care in our reactions to life’s every day nuisances and annoyances.  After all, into our lives a little rain (and other water) must fall.  The big question is whether or not we choose to look for the sunshine that follows.  Do we choose to search for the black clouds or for the rainbows?

Look for the rainbows, not the black clouds!

Have you taken the opportunity to “flip the switch” and turn a negative into a positive?  Do you believe that you are in control of how the world influences your attitude?  As always I welcome and encourage your comments and feedback.  Cheers! Karen

“Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses.” ~ Proverb

All photo credits to: http://www.pixabay.com