Do You Know A Woe Is Me?

We all know at least one "woe is me" person - someone has done me wrong kind of person who dwells on their past troubles caused by others. They tell the same story over and over, as if the ending is going to change.

I like to coach this kind of behavior for two reasons. One, dwelling on the past is the biggest roadblock from moving forward; and two, we all have so much to be grateful for.

I came upon this quote from Charles Dickens that summarizes it so well:

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which everyone has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all of us have some.

Life will move forward whether we are on board with it or not. You are the author of your own story. Each chapter tells the story of a year in your life. Are there negative chapters you tend to dwell on? That is why I love the Charles Dickens quote. We all have past misfortunes in some of the chapters in our lives. But relatively, they are few. If we reflect on our current chapter and blessings, we have many things to be grateful for: waking up in the morning; the ability to get up; the desire to go about the day; the ability to hear the birds; etc. etc. etc. We can never take these 'little' things for granted. They, in and of themselves, are reason for us to be thankful. They put in perspective the comparatively few misfortunes we face.

This Week's Focus:

This week, consider what misfortunes you may be dwelling on from past chapters in your life. Switch to the present and count your blessings instead. If you know of someone dwelling in the past, share this advice with them.