What happened to spring? How contrast can make us grateful
I have to be honest – I detest being cold! So you can imagine that I’m not a fan of winter weather and am especially unhappy with our recent bout of cold and snow in April. (Seriously? Snow?) The poor bird in this picture has been sitting on our table outside for hours, puffed up, trying to stay warm until he looks like a round ball.
Because I’m constantly working on trying to see the good, I had to have a little talk with myself . . . Remember, Tina, this cold weather is going to make you appreciate the warmer spring weather that is sure to be coming soon.
Even John Steinbeck noted,
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
You can be sure that I’m having this conversation several times today. But I realize it is true. Life is about contrast. The good things wouldn’t seem so good if we didn’t have the bad to compare them to. For example, think of how much more we appreciate –
- food when we’re hungry
- sleep when we’re tired
- friends when we’re lonely
- our family when we’ve been away
- a good job when we’ve had a bad job
- feeling good after being sick
- achievement after a setback
The list goes on and on.
As Treasure Tatum says,
“It takes darkness to be aware of the light.”
Life is full of challenges, disappointments, and pain. In the moment, it’s difficult to consider how these unwanted events can make us more aware and grateful for their opposites. So take a minute right now; what current or recent challenges can you use to remind yourself to enjoy and appreciate their flip-side.
Tina Hallis, Ph.D., is a positivity speaker, trainer, & author. She is also the founder of The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to helping create more positive attitudes, positive work cultures, and positive results.
