7/23/14 Entry (Looking for Positives)

It can be so easy to get sucked into the quicksand that is anger, worry, fear. A friend just called me, upset. I listened to what she had to say. I empathized with what she was going through. And then I pointed out one positive thing to take away from the situation. I was honest in communicating to her that if I were in her shoes, a big part of me would also be inclined to be highly upset. I told her it was OK to be upset--after all, ignoring the emotion or lying to one's self about one's feelings doesn't help. But I hoped she'd be able to incorporate remembering the positive as well, so as to help breakup the potential negative spiral that she could find herself in. I told her it wasn't going to be easy, but I encouraged her to try and keep trying. I hope next time I'm tempted to get upset and stay upset, if I find that I'm unable to see anything positive about the situation, I hope that I'll remember to call a friend and ask for their help in doing so.