A lot of the time in therapy and in life, we tend to focus on the negative, the hardships, and the challenges in our lives.  This is not bad.  In fact, this is totally normal, often expected, and needed.  I am a firm believer in letting ourselves give proper attention and appreciation to the tough parts of life.  It doesn’t ever really feel so great to go through, but I have found the experience to be important for growth and learning.

Something I keep going back to in life is the importance of balance.  Too much time dedicated to the deep end of our darkness and struggles  might end up drowning us.  Perhaps it could be helpful to give our muscles a break and retreat to a different part of the pool for a bit.  Not necessarily the shallow end (although that could be needed too), but a part that is just as deep but feels a little lighter, perhaps a little clearer, has less murkiness to trudge through, and a part that embraces our bodies with warmth.

Taking some time to explore this part of the pool might be helpful in balancing out the darkness we may feel a lot of the time.  For me, exploring this area sometimes simply means reflecting on the good parts of my life, the parts that bring a smile to my face and a warmth in my heart.  Sometimes this means doing those things that fill me with laughter, joy, and contentment.  For me, leading one of my military family camps and being a catalyst in helping families reconnect really fills me up with so much thankfulness and passion.  Or those times when you can let loose with your friends, clear the living room and dance wildly and freely while letting your inhibitions surrender to goofiness, spontaneity, and acceptance.

Do you think it would be worth it to swim to this other side of the pool for a little while?  If you find yourself feeling curious to do so, what are those things that help balance out the darkness?  What are the things in your life that bring you warmth, fulfillment, and contentment?