An Open Mind Leads To A Stronger, Happier, Healthier You

So Much Hustle And Bustle

The world we live in is full of hustle and bustle.  With over 6 billion people trying to get by, things can get crazy, and there’s a lot of opportunity for misunderstandings.  In this fast paced technological era, we’re all trying to get through, and we’re all trying to keep up.  We forget that each person has a story, a struggle, and is also trying to keep up.

Keeping an open mind, and a positive outlook can make you stronger, happier, and healthier.  Prolonged stress and negativity can actually damage your immune system.  That is a scientifically-studied, and proven fact!

Sometimes, letting go, and giving others the benefit of the doubt is so hard!  You can feel so wronged!  Take a step back and try to see people for the individuals they are.  Realize that they are each dealing with something inside.  Something you know nothing about.

Tormented Beauty

I used to work with a very beautiful girl.  She had the most beautiful silhouette with full lips, and an exotic complexion.  Absolutely gorgeous.  She was so nice, generous, and sweet to everyone.  She was also very quiet, sad, and often cried.  When I first started working there I didn’t understand why she hurt so bad.  She wasn’t one to open up.  I still don’t fully understand.  After working there a little while, we became friends.  She would give me glimpses of the things she was dealing with.  A lot of her hopelessness originated from her childhood.  Her father put her down a lot.  Her low self-esteem was the result of terrible bullying in school.  Her anxiety was the result of financial stress at home.  I believe there were some health problems, as well.  She never fully disclosed what was going on, but it was clear she was hurting.

Not everyone who struggles and hurts inside shows it.  It’s amazing how many people walk around with hurt inside and a big smile on their face.  We are taught to put on a happy face as we go out into the world.  How many times have you heard the expression, “Leave your problems at the door.”  Don’t think because someone is smiling, they didn’t just leave their problems at the door.

Buried Feelings

As young newlyweds, my husband and I would eat out once or twice a week.  One night, we decided to dine at IHOP.  It was just a quiet night with nothing particularly special going on.  There was an elderly woman with her son dining at the table next to us.  The woman looked to be in her mid-60’s.  Her son looked to be in his 30’s.  He appeared to be mentally disabled.  She still appeared to be caring for him.

I didn’t really think anything of it, but it affected my husband deeply.  While I was just quietly enjoying my night out, savoring my food, my husband was fighting back tears.  The waiter came by to see how we were doing.  My husband told him we would like to buy the woman and her son’s dinner for them.  He then got up quickly and went to the restroom.

He returned with a tear stained face.  I’d never seen him like that before (10 years later, I haven’t seen him like that since).  When we got home, he called his mom.  He talked about his own grandma, and about her passing.  Though she’d passed away a couple years prior, he’d never dealt with it.  He’d never talked about it, nor shed a tear.  He was finally dealing with his own grandma’s death.

To the woman and her son, a nice, young couple picked up their tab.  I’m not sure what they might have thought the reason was.  The waiter had mentioned they ate there often.  The waiter’s face lit up when my husband asked that their dinner be put on our bill.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what was going on until we got home.  I met my husband after his grandma had passed.

Classic Road Rage

Driving in El Paso can be an adventure, to put it nicely.  There are a lot of impatient drivers, and a lot of reckless drivers.  Also, there are just too many cars on the road, all of the time.  Having only lived here since last fall, we still use the GPS a lot.  Sometimes, you have to go right immediately after turning left, cutting across 3 lanes of traffic.  With so many cars on the road, it can be hard to squeeze through.  While we never intend to cut anyone off, it can be perceived that way, and sometimes is (we’ve been honked at, “flipped off,” and glared at).  Road rage.  Isn’t it fun?!  All we’re trying to do is get somewhere without getting in a wreck.

The tables turn, though, when it’s someone else.  While driving my oldest to gymnastics, I try and just stay in my lane, stay at the proper speed, and get there without incidence.  Unfortunately, I’m forced to do this at rush hour.  Cars come flying in and out of traffic, turn right in front of me, and cut me off.  It gets a little scary.  I get upset.  Don’t they know I’ve got three kids in this car!  They don’t.  They all have their own story.  They’re all just trying to get where they need to go.  Some are legitimately recklessly endangering us all, but most are just trying to get where they need to go.

We’ve All Been There

I’ve made my fair share of bad choices in life.  I’m lucky to be where I’m at.  I’ve found various ways of dealing with pain, stress, anger, and anxiety.  My husband has deployed with the army twice.  I haven’t lived close to family in about 10 years.  There have been hard times, and I haven’t always dealt with everything in the best of ways.  Because of this, however, I really try to keep an open mind and not judge other people.  I know that everyone is dealing with something.  We don’t always know what that something is.  A lot of times, the people who act the worst are the people who are hurting the most.

Open Your Mind & You Will Feel Better

Those who are quick to judge, tend to stress more, and have more anger and anxiety.  It consumes them.  It takes up energy which could be put to better use.  It causes inflammation, which wreaks havoc on the immune system.  It brings a person down.

Let it go!  Let go of the negativity.  Focus on the positive.  Give people the benefit of the doubt.  You will have more energy.  You will feel better.  Your mind, body, and soul will be stronger.  You will be happier.