It’s All Relative

One August morning, my daughter and I started out for a walk. For the first time in a long while, the humidity was down and the thermostat was only reading 80 degrees.

For a moment, when we first stepped outside, I actually wondered if AE needed a jacket and pants. As I giggled at the absurdity of that thought, I realized that 80 degrees felt relatively cool compared to the temperatures we had been experiencing.

I spent the rest of our walk appreciating how much of what we think and feel is relative.

We spend time and energy complaining about a terrible boss, because we are relatively unaware of the reality of unemployment that many people face.

We spend time and money in pursuit of material items, like smartphones, cars or houses that we believe are critical to our existence. All the while, we are relatively unaware of the poverty the majority of the planet lives in.

And, we let petty anger and hurt impede relationships with loved ones, relatively unaware of the fact that they won’t always be there.

The good news is, we can choose our thoughts and shift our awareness.

This week, I’m exercising my right to choose. When I feel stressed or anxious about the little things, I’m going to take time to step back and expand my viewpoint. Join me won’t you! Chances are we’ll discover that relatively speaking, things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Have you ever thought about putting a jacket on your kid in 80 degree weather? Nope, I’m the only one? Oh, well! What thoughts are you having this week that reflect your relative unawareness?