C'est La Vie

In a world with more than 6.7 billion people, its inevitable that there will be one who you do not like.  There's always going to be someone you seem to butt heads with.  There will always be at least one person who makes your life a little harder.  There will always be that one person who brings negativity to the table.

In the grand scheme of things, those people don't freaking matter.  When you look at the big picture, one negative person is so insignificant to all the positive people in your life.  Your well-being is more than just eating the right foods and avoiding chemicals in your diet and body products.  It's also about a healthy mindset.  Negative energy can cause stress.  Other people can cause stress.  And stress can cause a variety of health problems-- minor and serious, short-term and long-term.

The problem is that there are stressors around us everywhere-- most of which we can't control.   For those things we can control, we can only do the best we can.   For the ones we can't, we have to try to take a step back and breathe.  I remember how much Los Angeles traffic used to overwhelm me.  I would be stuck in horrible traffic, and a six-mile trip would take at least 45 minutes!  Nothing seemed to bother me more than sitting there in my car, anxious to get where I needed to be, worried that I was going to be late somewhere.  Then at one point, I finally realized that I was expending too much energy on being upset.  My father always says you can't worry about something you can't change.  And boy, is he right.  In this case, I couldn't make the cars move any faster.  I couldn't do anything about the situation.  If I was late, I was late.  It's not the end of the world.  So why was I so stressed out over it?  From then on I took that opportunity to connect with friends and family on the phone, or reflect on the day while listening to my favorite music.  It wasn't a solution to the problem-- the traffic was still there-- but it was the best way I knew how to handle it.

A bigger problem-- like the lack of a job or money, or a bad relationship, or illness-- isn't always as easy.  Some people like to dig their own graves.  As the problem escalates, they become more and more stressed.  I am guilty of this too, until I hit the breaking point.  It's never to late to change things.  If your job search isn't going well, try a different approach.  If you're in an unhealthy relationship, end it and move on.  If you're having health problems, figure out the best ways to look on the bright side, even when you're convinced there might not be.  Take care of your body, and be positive that you can overcome your illness.

As far as other people, singer/songwriter Bettie Serveert says it the best:  hell is other people.  People create conflict, wars, competition, and even diseases.  Sometimes we bring it upon ourselves.  Other times there's someone else inflicting that pain.  These people exist everywhere.  They're our friends, coworkers, classmates, family and even strangers.  My thoughts are this:  Don't waste one bit of your energy on people who just aren't worth it.  Be kind and polite, as hard as it might be.  No more, no less.  And don't wish anyone ill will; they'll probably bring it upon themselves anyway.

When it comes to the little annoyances of every day, you have to remember to put things in perspective  Are you healthy?  Are you happy?  Do you have a support system?  Do you have love?  Focus on what you do have, instead of what you don't.   And if you can change something, do it.  I'm a firm believer in change.  Change your job, your location, or your outlook.  Make yourself happy, because realistically, no one else will.