My Year of Hopefulness - A Change of Self and Not a Change of Scene

I was speaking to a friend of mine tonight about how difficult it can be to get our head back in the game of work after the holidays. I'll admit that I felt a tiny pang of dread this morning when my alarm went off this morning. Some people say they never know what they'd do with themselves if they retired. I'm not one of those people. I can happily fill any day with activities I love sans work. 

My friend had the same feeling this morning, wishing that she could turn off the alarm and happily snuggle back under the covers to sleep a bit more. No such luck. So with one heavy foot in front of the other she got onto the subway and made her way downtown to work, like so many of us this morning. She was pleasantly surprised to find that EVERYONE at work was cheerful and pleasant. All traces of stress and grumpiness that descended on her off right before Christmas had dissipated. It was the same office space with a whole new collective attitude. 

It's possible, even in bleak times, to change our scene by changing ourselves. By choosing to look up while also reaching down. We can take other people with us into a new attitude. It's not easy work. Changing the way we look at a situation or at a person, even if that person has caused us some kind of grief in the past, can work wonders to move us forward. Extend your heart and mind toward the sentiment that brings more comfort to your daily life and you will be amazed by the feeling of well-being that you'll find.