Dropping In, But Not Out

By now, the cold, wet, freezing weather helped introduce you to at least one of these dreaded things. Those insidious, little destroyers lurk where you least expect them ready to disrupt your vehicle, your day, and your mood. When you’re zooming along, thinking all’s well—bam! A pothole attacks! What’s worse than a pothole? Maybe it’s this, and be glad you’re not him:

                                         https://youtu.be/7CIOWh1JNTs

And you thought these situations only appeared in adventure stories. As you can see, it’s real and getting stuck is possible. People rarely have good things to say about getting stuck in holes. In fact, when someone complains about being in the hole, it often means they’re in debt. Again, not a good place to be. When you feel like you’re in a hole or a bad spot, what helps you wriggle free?      

Welcome to Insidious

Since half of the country is under a winter advisory alert, we’re all familiar with black ice, and it’s not our friend. The moment you think you’ve navigated splotches of ice and slippery snow—bam—you’re on the ground wondering what happened. The thing you didn’t see got you. Things we can’t detect right away can impact us in big and small ways. Watch this:  

                                         https://youtu.be/L3wx-Tk2McQ

Everyone heeded the warnings in front of them by taking a different route. Once we see someone else in potential danger, then we begin wondering how their situation might impact us. In every circumstance, the key is to see the actual problem. What problem are you overlooking or pretending not to see?    

Beauty During the Storm

I don’t like the beach. Maybe I’m overdramatizing my dislike for the annoying sand that invades every nook and cranny. After a trip to the shore, you’ll find sand in your car, tucked into the fibers of your swim suit, and lurking in the bottom of your beach bag. It takes forever to clean up.

But during a recent vacation, I spent a surprisingly pleasant day at Daytona Beach. When a storm blew in, I marveled at how the angry, slate-colored sky met the placid, green water at the horizon. When the downpour drenched our swimsuits, we scurried to safety beneath a bridge until the storm passed, and within minutes, we were back in the ocean.

The water was my silver lining. Normally, the ocean offers an unending series of waves, and with the approaching storm, I expected rough surfs. On this particular afternoon, the water was calm and clear enough to see the little fish that occasionally leaped into the air. If you look closely, you’ll spot the silver lining in most situations, like this one:  

                                     https://youtu.be/kwMXEPGFc14

Although the news bombards us with videos and updates on the latest horrors from here and abroad, even Anne Frank learned not to think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remained. If she could focus on beauty, we can, too. In these turbulent times, what’s your silver lining?