The Cup of Life
Life is like a cup of water. (anyone else in their head like chocolate was better?) Sometimes it is complete, sometimes, it is empty, and sometimes it is somewhere in between. How we perceive the cup reflects how we perceive our lives. Are we optimistic or pessimistic? Are we grateful or resentful? Are we hopeful or hopeless?
For most of my life, I have been an optimistic person. I have always considered the cup half full, not half empty. I have always seen the bright side of things, the silver lining in every cloud, and the opportunity in every challenge. I have always believed that life is a gift and that we should make the most of it.
But lately, I have been feeling down. I have been going through some hard times, which have taken a toll on me. I have been struggling with stress, anxiety, and depression. I have felt like nothing is going right for me, like everything is falling apart, and I have no control over anything. (And please understand I'm here to write this out because this post might help someone one day.)
For the first time, I looked at the cup as half empty, not half full. I looked at it and saw only what was missing, not what was there. I looked at it and felt only sadness, not joy. I looked at it and thought only of the problems, not the solutions. And I looked at it and gave up on myself and my dreams.
I realized that I had lost my optimism and became a pessimist. I realized that I had let the negative thoughts and emotions take over me and that I had forgotten how to be positive. I realized I had stopped appreciating what I had and started complaining about what I didn't have. I realized that I had stopped living my life and begun surviving it. If you have ever dealt with depression, it's survival mode!
I realized this was not who I was or how I wanted to be. I realized that I needed to change my perspective and that I needed to change my attitude. I realized that I needed to look at the cup differently and that I needed to look at life differently.
I decided to look at the cup as half full again, not half empty. I decided to look at it and see what was missing, not what was there. I decided to look at it and feel the joy, not the sadness. I decided to look at it and think of the solutions, not the problems. Finally, I decided to look at it and believe in myself again, not give up on my dreams.
I decided to let go of the negative thoughts and emotions and embrace the positive ones. I chose to appreciate what I have and to work for what I want. I decided to live my life again and not just survive it.
I decided to see the cup as a symbol of hope, not despair. A sign of abundance, not scarcity. A symbol of possibility, not limitation. A sign the cup is half full or half empty, depending on how we see it. And so is life. But sometimes, it is hard to see the cup as half full. Occasionally, we need some help to change our perspective. Sometimes, we need some support to change our attitude. Sometimes, we need some inspiration to change our life.
That is why I am grateful for being in this community. A place where I can find help, support, and inspiration. This community allows me to connect with others who share my interests, passions, and goals. This community is a place where I can learn from others and where others can learn from me.
One of the things that I love about this community is that I can write. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies. Reading and writing are two of the best ways to express myself. They are two of my most powerful tools to improve myself.
Writing helps to clear my mind, organize my thoughts (except for today, I'm all over the place! 😏), communicate my ideas, and unleash my creativity. Writing helps me cope with my emotions, heal my wounds, overcome challenges, and achieve my dreams. Writing helps me to discover myself, understand myself, and grow.
Reading helps me to expand my knowledge, enrich my vocabulary, to enhance my skills, and stimulate my imagination. It takes me to explore different worlds, to meet other characters, to experience different stories, and to learn different lessons.
-Reading and writing help me to open my eyes, to open my mind, and to open my heart.
-Reading and writing make me happy. Reading and writing make me wise. R
-Reading and writing make me better.
(My daily affirmations 😊)
- Conclusion
The cup of life can be half full or half empty, depending on how we see it. We choose to be optimistic or pessimistic. And we choose to be grateful or resentful. Or we choose to be hopeful or hopeless.
So this evening, the cup of life is half full because I choose to see it that way.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Writing has always been a massive part of my life. And I like reading everyone's posts; I sometimes stay in the shadows because I feel more comfortable there.
Here's my actual daily affirmation that I repeat in the morning:
-You have a unique gift to offer the world. You are talented, creative, and resilient. Your past mistakes or failures do not define you. You are growing and learning every day. You are a beautiful person inside and out.
Recent Comments
25
Wow, Melissa! This is so true! I seem to still wake up everyday, so the glass is definitely half full! What we do to fill it all the way up each new day is totally up to us!
Jeff
That is an AWESOME and INSPIRING post, and I'm so glad to hear that you've turned things around by changing your perspective to focusing on positives rather than negatives. Kudos to you and this certainly difficult and therefore, very significant personal accomplishment! 🙌
Sorry to hear you have been going through problems, however, I always think we can’t feel the heights and joy of life unless we also have struggled with the depths of despair. We just don’t want to make it a regular occurrence is all.
A big step in clearing away the cobwebs is sharing how you feel and you’ve just done that….so I hope you can punch through to a bit of clear light.
Steve
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Hi Melissa,
Thank you for sharing so intimately the struggles you have went through. You write well, and describe the experiences you have went through with a lens that allows us to be witness to these events.
I think for so many of us we have been on that same battleground for a myriad of reasons. Binding to different levels of despair and cynicism as we face realities we are powerless to change. I can remember years ago being told by many I was a pessimist, and I would reply back I was a realist.
Affirmations are a great habit to form, the law of attraction an intangible force that seems to manifest regularly with our own mindsets.
Out of curiosity, and no offense if you prefer not to share. But perhaps if there was a defining event that jarred you from the rut of sadness you will write a future blog on that. :)
Regards,
Jason
When my mom passed away in 2021 from covid vaccine complications. I became very angry at first the depression set in. I wanted to share this not to make anyone feel bad for me, but for someone who isn't so open to be so open. And thank you for the compliment. I tried to really make people understand how I felt..I thought I accomplished it well!