The Good And The Bad Keep Us Alive And Kicking

Jan 01, 2016 1 Min Read
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A balance of push and pull is needed to keep us going in life, similar to a game of tug of war.

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How has 2015 been for you?

Mine has been great. Not because I have had so many wonderful things happen to me, which have been the case.

Pondering on the months, I have experienced betrayal, rejection, anger, disappointment, sadness, bitterness, envy, annoyance… Should I go on?

If I were to sit down and give you a blow-by-blow account on what happened to me on a daily basis, it would definitely look unstable on a heart rate monitor, with some very highs and some very lows. It could give you a heart attack just observing it!

Gratefulness

I end every year going through 10 things I am grateful for. This reflective exercise gets me pondering and I find myself “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” about the nice things that have happened and the little things that I am grateful for.

Simple joys like my son asking for a book I have written so he can read it at a holiday camp (he probably just wants to show off that I’m his mother) to checking on me if I have had dinner. Coming from a 13-year-old, this means the world to me.

Lessons

I then ask myself what were some of my greatest lessons learnt for the year. As I do that, I don’t dwell on the negative.

Instead, I treat every experience as an opportunity to learn. The most meaningful learning is usually from a “bad” experience, i.e. you can’t appreciate the view at the top of the mountain unless you’ve been to the valley.

One of my lessons was the people I allowed into my space and my heart. And as much as I don’t want to change my open nature, I am wary of how much I will allow an individual into my life.

When I find my energy being zapped or I catch myself whinging, I then reframe and move on to play a bigger game.
I visualise myself being up in the clouds knowing there’s a storm brewing below as opposed to being caught in the storm.

Achievements

There have been plenty; from finishing my first marathon to writing my second book. These only serve as reminders that I can do more, and how I need to get uncomfortable again to stretch myself to be a better me not for public recognition but to be all that I can be as God has planned for me.

What’s Next?

The year has been filled with such lessons (from the good and bad) and I reckon I’ll be lifeless if it didn’t come with trials and tribulations.

In the midst of it, I choose to focus on the wonderful things that have happened from fellowships, friendships, support and opportunities that have come my way.

Whatever 2016 may be like, I just thank God for being alive to experience it. Trust me, there are many silver linings in your life if you look out for them too.

Freda is a faculty trainer of Leaderonomics focusing on public relations and broadcasting. She is also a radio presenter/producer on BFM89.9. To engage Freda for your organisational work, email training@leaderonomics.com. For more Try This articles, click here. 

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Prethiba is passionate about impacting people through the written word. She believes that our lives are solely written by us, and thus the power to change for the better lies with us.

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