There’s a bad place where all your thoughts are negative. The place where you’re mean to yourself an everyone around you. You wallow in self-pity or resentment or anger or frustration. You take everything from the worst possible angle. You make mistakes and then get angrier. You snarl at the people you love and then feel disappointed in yourself. And the cycle goes on and on.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who goes to that bad place.
I’ve been living in that place for the last couple of days. I am not entirely sure how I got there or why I’m stuck there but here I am. I’ve been grouchy and mean and having major meltdowns over the smallest things. It has not been fun and I go to bed each day determined to snap out of it and wake up each morning back in that place.
But here’s the thing: even during these dark days, I’ve had amazing moments of gratitude and joy.
People have been kind and understanding and generous with me. I’ve had moments of laughter. I’ve felt good about accomplishing a task and finishing some todo item. Even if they were fewer and far in between, they were there.
So if your week or day is going like mine have been, I urge you to pause and pay attention to the moments of gratitude you have in the middle of darkness. To me, those are little bits of hope seeping in to remind you that life is not nearly as bleak as it seems right now.
That’s what practicing gratitude is all about: paying attention to the good. Because some good is always there.
Always.
Thank you friend, for sharing this reminder.
Oh yeah, I’ve been in that place before. It’s hard to get out of.
Thanks for your honesty. Yep, we’ve all been there. I hope it doesn’t last too long for you.
Yes! Everyday I enter that place for a few hours after lunch. It makes it hard to focus on the good and be kind! Your gratitude journal is a great tool for pushing through it and is encouraging me to start one. I also am finding, today especially as I am dealing with serious anxiety, that stopping focusing on the present moment, what needs to be done right now, and taking deep breaths helps a lot. Blessings to you!
Thank you for sharing your story. I certainly go through those periods. It is hard and over time I’ve grown more conscious of it which has helped. I don’t really have anyone I can talk to about it as its hard for my husband to understand how I can get to such a place in my head. Its good to know that there are other people who go through the same thing and your message is a good reminder that I’ll be able to reflect on if I ever get to that place again.
Hi Karen,
I go there too, sad to say. For me it manifests as anxiety. I try to be positive, I try all the tricks I know to calm myself down, but sometimes you just have to wait it out… You are so right though, there is still a lot to be grateful for, every single day. And maybe the things to be extra grateful for are the wonderful people in our lives who put up with us, and trust that we will be back to ourselves with a bit of patience, love, and time…
Have a good day, I hope your sunshine comes back to you soon!
ah….yes. I know that dark place. I am there right now in fact! 😉 There’s a painting series by Georgia O’Keefe called “The Black Place.” Even though they are…well, dark, they make me feel better when I am there because they reaffirm my belief that it is part of having a creative streak. The dark place is sometimes where it comes from, I believe.
At any rate, I hope you are doing better today! I think you’re awesome!!!
Amy
Just now reading this. Glad to know I’m not the only one that has moments like that and can share honestly about it. Very real, and a great reminder that even in times like that there is still gratefulness to be found!
I’m behind on reading posts because I’ve been at this spot for probably the whole month, it is better now and that I am grateful for.