When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then if everything goes to hell, well, at least you have some lemonade. But, what if you don't feel like making lemonade? What if life gave you the lemons, stole all your sugar, broke your pitcher, and hid your spoon where the sun don't shine?
Sometimes, seeing the bright side is much easier said than done.
Yes, I'm all for positive thinking and I do believe it is very powerful. When something rotten happens in my life, I always get through it by finding the light and following it. You know, the light at the end of the tunnel. In my experience, that light is usually NOT a train, so I would say this is an effective life strategy....however...there is always that period just before I find the light. That period of time, usually only about a day or so, when I wallow in self-pity like a fat, pink pig in mud.
I declare that taking a little time for a pity party is ok. You heard me. That theory is contrary to what we're told we should do. Friends see you down and try to boost you up with love and happy tawts. Your mom tells you to quit feeling sorry for yourself and do something about it. Your grandma bakes you cookies. No person who loves you wants to see you sad, so they work tirelessly to get you over it. Ah, maybe that's part of the appeal.
I think brief moments of self-pity are therapeutic, as long as they are short-lived and you have the ability to pull yourself out of them, motivated to forge ahead. A pity party can simply be a request for a little help from your support system to refill your emotional tank in preparation for a difficult road ahead.
After all, pigs wallow in mud to protect themselves from overheating in the harsh rays of the sun. Wallowing in a little self-pity for protection against the harsh realities of life seems reasonable. Pigs are smart. They freak me out a little.
