By Lisa Kenny
Every day, we have things we have to do to keep our household running…chores like cooking, laundry, walking the dog, taking the kids to school and practice, checking in on our parents, grocery shopping, and going to work to provide for our families. In a typical lifetime, we eat 28,740 dinners. When you are the one preparing those meals, it can be a bit of a drag, right?
Instead of lamenting that you “have to make dinner AGAIN”, look at the bright side! Americans are blessed with access to more varieties of foods at the local grocery store than ever before. If you are out of meal ideas, you’ll find over 58 million chicken recipes online! You have the money to buy food, and the home to prepare it in, and loved ones to share it with. With an optimistic attitude, meal preparation is less of a chore and more of an opportunity to care for yourself and your family and appreciate what you have.
Who can be optimistic on laundry day? After all, no one has yet invented a laundry robot like Rosie the Jetson’s maid. Think of it this way. Tough grass stains on your kid’s jeans? You have a healthy child who plays outside. Do you have dress shirts to iron for your office job? You have a job that pays you a good wage and provides for your family. Folding tiny baby clothes can be a hassle, or it can be a reminder of how quickly your children grow, and the importance of each moment you spend with them. I love folding my husband’s laundry because it reminds me of how blessed I am to have him in my life.
One of our dogs is Rosie, a 13-year-old West Highland white terrier rescue. She has been with us since she was rescued from a puppy mill at age 4. Rosie has been a constant companion to me for the past 9 years, and I’ve loved every moment. As she ages, she has developed water diabetes and needs to go out every few hours. Instead of being frustrated about getting up at 3 a.m., I embrace these moonlight walks in the yard because it’s a little more time I get with her. She takes her time sniffing the cold winter air, and meanders around for “just the right spot”. When she kicks back grass or snow like a dog 10 times her size, I smile at her confidence and big dog attitude in a small dog body. It’s another day I get to spend with my little buddy.
Yes, even the most optimistic people get tired of making dinner, sigh at the growing mound of laundry, or dread having to shovel snow or mow the lawn after work. But if you look on the bright side and count your blessings while you do your daily routine, life is a heck of a lot more enjoyable.
So, how do you infuse optimism in your daily routine?
