Military mama: Doing something better than doing nothing

All you need is a little perspective...

There’s always an option to dislike your situation, your neighborhood, your town, your job, your situation. But there’s also always a choice to deal with it, and better yet you can choose to enjoy it. As if it were that easy, you say? It is.

Each day you wake up and start fresh.

You can choose to take a deep breath and look at all the positives in your life, or to let the weight of the world on your shoulders hold you down. I choose not to be a weightlifter.

Does this mean that I can will away all stress and any issues that I may be experiencing? No, of course not. I simply am choosing to keep a positive perspective on my situation.

There are factors that I will never be able to control, so why should I let those get to me? Instead I am going to empower myself in taking control of the few things that I can reign over. My house is a disaster, but I’m working on it. My kids exhaust me, but I’m working through it. My town doesn’t have an Olive Garden, but I’m taking in less calories because of it.

I am not always a bright shining ray of optimism, that is certainly not what I’m trying to say. However, today, I am working on it. I am working through it. I am doing it. You can, too.

What I have realized is that there are many positive people that I can surround myself with, and if the conversation veers toward the things that we are forced to deal with because we are military spouses; I have the power to steer that conversation toward the blessings that we also receive. I may be sounding like a late night infomercial at this point, but it’s true. It could be worse, we can always choose to focus on the positive.

You aren’t a fan of the base at which you’re stationed? You know that in a few short years you’ll be moving on to the next place. You are tired of being alone while your spouse is deployed? Go out with the girls, attend spouse socials or simply be grateful that it is only a temporary situation. You aren’t happy with the educational options for your kids? Become a tutor or mentor a youth group. You aren’t happy with the social options in your town? Start a club, throw a party, form a playgroup; do whatever it takes to resolve the situation and provide the kind of entertainment you’re trying to find.

I’m not asking you to save the world. I’m not even asking you to attempt any of the solutions I brought up, rather I’m reminding you (and myself) that it’s a good idea to sit back and view the bigger picture. If something is not going your way, know that in time things can and will change. It can just happen faster if you become a part of the solution. It’s truly all about perspective.