It’s a habit, and a good one I think.  It’s something I’ve always done on automatic pilot; sort of built in, but it’s only as I’ve reached middle age that I understand how important it really is.  My daughter asked me yesterday as we were waiting at a pedestrian crossing in the car, “What do you think it is that makes a woman’s face look that way?”

I was thinking exactly the same thing at exactly the same moment.  The woman crossing the road in front of us had a face all sucked in, turned down and miserable looking. It looked like this woman was wearing all the troubles of the whole world on her face.  Obviously I have no idea idea of her current circumstances, and she may indeed be experiencing very trying times.  However, it made me think.

It seems to me that the more we dwell on the crap that life deals out to us, the more we look like it.  As a family we’ve had more than our fair share of troubles over the years.  And you know what, I refuse to lie down and just take it.  Bottom line in any dire situation – “Will this kill me?”  Every time the answer has been “No, it won’t actually”. I’ve learned that even when things are really tough, if I look hard enough at my life there are still things to be grateful for and to take pleasure from.  And focusing on the good stuff gives me the opportunity to take a step away from the difficulties I face at any time, find a different perspective, and usually a range of solutions come to me that possibly wouldn’t have done so otherwise.

My midlife habit then, in fact my whole lifetime habit, is counting my blessings every day, properly, be glad about all the good stuff, embrace new things, smile, laugh out loud, enjoy every aspect of life.   If you really do believe that life is good then it usually is.