Okay, it’s not a pretty picture, but it’s reality – we’ve all had a facial pimple in our lifetime.  Once we have it, we want to quickly get rid of it.  At my age, it’s rare, so it feels slightly embarrassing, but it can happen. 

Last week I noticed I had two pimples beginning on my face and the first reaction was to see how quickly I could squeeze them and eliminate them, but they hadn’t yet got to that point.  Oftentimes I notice when I have messed with a zit, it just makes the area redder and it takes longer to heal.  So I washed my face and cleaned it, but decided to not force them.  

I also stopped paying much attention to them.  The beauty of it all was noticing that by paying them no mind, in a a few days they faded.  

What are the “pimples” in your life that you’re impatient about and could a wait-and-see approach be a possible stance to take? 

I awoke this morning with my attention on one thing that wasn’t going smoothly and soon I found a whole bucket of issues to be unhappy about.  There aren’t many things to complain about in my life truthfully, when I come to look at it now, but in that moment, it was all I could see.   I couldn’t even remember then that it was just a brief “down” to my generally “up” feelings.  It could be the fluctuating cold and hot weather affecting me and the restless sleep I got last night, it could be something I ate before bed that upset my body, or it could be a “natural” propensity I have to sometimes view what’s out before finding my center again.

There are those who can walk into a perfectly clean, sparkling and comfortable office area, but notice the wilting plant in the corner more than anything else.   There can be a benefit to them having that detailed eyesight, for example the plant may otherwise not get watered.  

I’ve heard of a study that was done examining in different people the diverse reactions to the same conversations.  Some listeners heard ”X’s” while others were speaking “O’s” to them and visa-versa.    What does this mean?

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I was out for my walk at dusk today. I’d really wanted to be outside in the afternoon sunshine, but I had a project deadline and there were problems to iron out that kept me at my desk too long.

As I was walking I thought, “I wouldn’t want this day to repeat.” That made me think about the movie “Groundhog Day” – a day that continually repeats until the lead character gets a clue about his life and becomes grateful for it. I laughed to myself in the realization that this was what I needed to get about this day.

Every day has some sweetness, something that bears repeating and being grateful for – like this walk at dusk.

How do you deal with your Groundhog Days?