stop & think

I'm a complainer. Yep, I said it. I'm not going to lie, hide, or fight the fact that complaining is one of my best qualities. Ok, so maybe not my best, but I'm good at it. Why is it so cold out? (You live in Minnesota). I don't want to go to work! (Work = money). I have no cute clothes! (You have a closet full of clothes).  I'm too tired to work out. (You have limbs that are willing to move, GO). 

I may have been exaggerating that I'm good at complaining. That or I don't want to face the fact that I do complain more than I need to. I do know that I need to stop & think about what I'm complaining about. Somebody always has it worse off than you.  

Today marks the 5th day of communicating to my boyfriend solely through e-mail. He is in the Dominican Republic for the next couples week on his last clinical rotation. As supportive & excited I was for him, the thought of not being able to pick up my phone & call him made me crazy. 

The first day I cried. How am I going to do this? How will I know that he is ok? Who am I suppose to tell my random thoughts to throughout the day? & then it hit me. There are hundreds & thousands of people that do this everyday. I have to deal with it for a month or so while some people have to deal with it for over a year. After putting things in to perspective, I made a calendar. I filled that sucker up with activities like you wouldn't believe. Seeing it visually laid out for me somehow calmed me.

I'm making myself stay busy. Between working 2 jobs, training for my 1/2 marathon, dates with friends, weekend trips planned out of town, & spending time with family, I can do it.

 I have to do it. & I want to do it. There isn't any way around this so I might as well make the most of the situation I'm in. Right? Enjoy the "freedom" of not being glued to my cell phone. Enjoy hearing about his experience, even if I'm not hearing it from his voice. Enjoy getting a feel for what it was like before cell phones. Sure, we are spoiled with e-mail, but don't take that for granted. Be thankful for the communication that I do have with him. 

Long story short, next time we want to complain about something, stop & think. Do we really have it that bad? Find the positives in situations that seem so difficult. I promise, there is always something good that comes out of something bad.