It's Up to You--Good or Bad

My husband & I just returned from a vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains. We spent a week doing all the tourist-y stuff—like the Comedy Barn and Dixie Stampede, enjoying dinner at the Timberwood Grill, and visiting museums like the Titanic. Not to mention climbing mountains to ogle vistas and taking tons of pictures—some of which will appear in future posts and may become cover art for an upcoming book release.

It’s still technically the off-season in Tennessee so crowds were small and foot traffic slow in the local shops and art galleries. It afforded us the opportunity to chat with staff and get to know people. Out of all the people we met, I only had one negative experience with someone I didn’t actually meet.

I got yelled at in a public restroom when I walked in on a woman. There’s a way to prevent someone from walking in on you. Lock the door! She didn’t, so I burst in, and she got indignant.

For about half a minute, I got indignant back at her. After all, how could she blame me when she’s the one with the power to lock the door?

Immediately, I decided I wasn’t going to let that one experience spoil the memories of my trip. Our vacation was wonderful. We had numerous, enjoyable interactions with people from North Carolina, Long Island, a beautiful young bride from UAB, and a lovely lady from Hattiesburg, MS, not to mention all the Tennesseans who made our trip exceptional.

Life is full of choices. We can remember the good and let go of the bad. Or we can let a truly crappy day at work crowd out a good moment with a coworker. Most times, a negative experience stays with us longer because it makes a more indelible impression. Don’t let it. It’s a choice. A conscious decision to focus on one thing instead of another.

Choose to focus on the good things in life. Fun conversations. A child’s laugh. A silly joke that wasn’t that funny. A good book. A beautiful view. Being wrapped in the arms of someone you love. It takes a lot more energy to stay mad over a slight than it does to find delight in one of life’s simple pleasures.

Speaking of simple pleasures, my first book, Streams of Mercy, Book One in my Jenna’s Creek Series, is available as a free download on Amazon through May 17. Check out the other books in the series while you’re there.

All the best for a blessed & beautiful weekend.