Episode 16. Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
'Always look
on the bright side of life
Always look
on the light side of life.
If life
seems jolly rotten
There's
something you've forgotten.
And that's
to laugh and smile and play and sing.
When you're
feeling in the dumps
Don't be
silly chumps
Just purse
your lips and whistle, that's the thing.
Aaaand
Always look
on the bright side of life
Always look
on the right side of life...'
Eric Idle
1979
An excerpt
from 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' A Song from Monthy
Python's Life of Brian.
Apart from
this song's paradoxical message about existential crisis, coupled
with how we should be optimistic about it, which I find amusing, my
Dad often used to sing it and whistle along to it. He made it even
funnier. My Dad didn't like Monty Python, he thought they were
stupid. He was more of a Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses
chap.
My optimism
had left me for a couple of weeks, but it was re-ignited on Sunday
21st October 2018 at 8.45am when a million rainbows flooded into my
lounge, from sunlight shining through my window-hung crystals. I made
a video of them and posted it on LinkedIn, connected to last week's
blog, Episode 15. Out Of Darkness Cometh Light. It's been viewed over
4000 times now, so I'm happy I managed to cheer a few folk up.
The rainbow
Sunday, reminded me about how important it is to be optimistic. It's
not the same as having to force positivity. It means you can feel
down or worried, without struggling with guilt or feeling negative.
Optimism is a way to give yourself a chance to remember nothing lasts
forever, not even our miserable feelings. We can be optimistic we
will soon feel well again.
I've had a
productive week as a result of my returning optimism. I've
remembered to do things that make me feel better. I've been writing
my gratitude journal, completed outstanding assignments and projects
and continued to battle with physio for my
broken-now-mended-poorly-sore-arm.
I find
mornings a bit of a struggle. I think it takes my serotonin and
dopamine a few hours to start circulating. I've never checked the
medical explanation. At this time of day, I'm most likely to cancel
plans or talk myself out of something, I happily arranged the evening
before. Once I get warmed up I'm fine. So for those few difficult
hours, I have to be more mindful.
The latest
mindfulness exercise I've just added to my repetoire, is to be
grateful for the sunlight and rain that grew my coffee beans. Then I
send gratitude for every hand that has touched those beans before
they arrive in my cup and hence in my tummy. I enjoy believing that
those exact beans were always destined only for me. When I view
myself as connected, it makes me feel valued.
Feeling
connected to all other beings, our world, our universe even, has
helped me to understand I have a purpose. And having a sense of
purpose gives me hope, it's very motivating. This in turn
drives my momentum, making it more easily possible to be creative and
to undertake all my tasks, I otherwise find difficult.
So all in
all my sense of optimism is like a bridge that spans a chasm of
difficulty. Optimism carries me over to the next good spell. I always
know with certainty a dark episode won't last.
The universe
and everything in it, including all of us, is constantly changing. We
are all merely a collection of processes. We and everything around
us, are constantly flowing, changing and moving. The idea of
impermanence, to me, is comforting and freeing.
The final
part of Eric Idle's song comments:
'You started
with nothing,
You go back
to nothing,
What have
you lost?
Nothing!'
And with
that said, we may as well enjoy the ride.
© Gillian Cullis 31/10/2018
I liked this one, I agree with your dad about Monty python but they did have some classic moments, interesting interpretation.about that song, loved it.
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