OK the reality is that sometimes hardships do equal bitterness but we still have a choice in our perception. It was pointed out in the 1000 Awesome Things TED talk.
Buying into bitterness hasn't ever snowballed into anything good for me.
Trying to maintain a positive outlook also becomes more difficult if we remain bitter, being positive is the better option than being negative.
Dr. Jill Taylor stated in her book that our brains will run a loop of emotion and its up to us to let the loop run its course but then its also up to us to move on after the cycle of the loop...she claimed these brain cycles lasted for ninety seconds...so along the theory we once heard "count to ten", we need to do that just a little longer. She claims its important to let it runs it course but understand that we have to stop it after a point and move on, get into a cycle of good things. (a survivor I met online stated that a requirement for others to be his friend is to read this book, My Stroke of Insight, as time goes by, I'm agreeing with this, I keep re-reading this book and find it abundantly informative for all people).
I wonder sometimes what makes me see the cup as half full when so much gets emptied? I really can't answer that question without saying that when I think of the cup as half empty and carry a negative attitude it just doesn't make me feel too good and ultimately I know that if we think negatively it can be a self fulfilling prophecy.
The other perspective is to view what we have, what we can do, more than dwelling on what we don't have or what we can't do, again the later thinking doesn't leave me feeling too good.
The old saying that goes something like you don't know what you have until it's gone also relates to hardships equalling appreciation. When you can't swallow, walk, stand to pee, talk or see very well and regain the ability to do these things that are missing for a good period of time you tend to appreciate being able to do them again. This is especially true if you were told that you would never eat again or walk again and really embraced the idea of life like this...when we regain, when the hardship isn't so hard anymore then a smile breaks on my face.
