“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
-Viktor E. Frankl
This week, in order to assess the feelings of my 9-10 year old social play group clients, I asked them for their “rose and thorn.” “What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week, and what’s been the most difficult?” Several of them mentioned the rain, and how much they dislike the wet and cold that permeates much of the spring weather here in the Pacific NW. But one child said, “The rain is my rose, because all the worms come out and I can save them from kids who want to squish them.”
I was heartened to learn that somehow news of the war in Ukraine had not sunk into their young minds, that rain was the worst calamity in their world view. And even then, one of them had taken that inconvenience and turned it into an ability to save innocent invertebrates. It made me think about looking at difficult situations as either “half-empty” or “half-full.” Viewing an issue from either the negative or positive side of the continuum.
Like many of us who aren’t shielded from the news, I have been feeling so disheartened by the senseless invasion of Ukraine, with the massive destruction and loss of human life. It is almost unthinkable to imagine there is a glass half-full way of viewing it. And yet, the humanitarian out-pouring, the newly restored alliance of NATO, and the welcoming in of refugees by neighboring countries fills me with hope. In fact, with all the noise of the atrocities abroad, I had to take a moment to remind myself that COVID, which has monopolized the media for two years, has decreased to the point the CDC is allowing us to remove our masks.
Anxiety can tail-spin into paranoia and rumination. If you go down that rabbit hole, it’s difficult to find your way out again. Even in the worst of situations, the capacity to choose one’s attitude, as Viktor Frankl* writes, is ours.
I invite you to look at the glass half-full this week.
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Disclaimer:
Neither the publisher nor the author are engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions continued in this blog are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a licensed mental health and or child development advisor. All matters regarding the health and development of your child require professional supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this blog.
*Frankl, Viktor E. “Man’s Search for Meaning.” 1946 Verlag für Jugend und Volk (Vienna, Austria). 1959 Beacon Press (United States).