“Don’t cry when the sun is gone, because the tears won’t let you see the stars.”

— Violeta Parra

Reframing the questions we ask ourselves can help us get through the hard times.

When things aren’t going well, we ask – Why can’t things just work out? Why can’t people treat me nicer? Why won’t anyone listen?

Those are tough questions. It might be more helpful to modify them just slightly.

“Why can’t things work out?” could be “What one thing can I do right now to make it better?”

“Why can’t people treat me nicer?” could be “What one thing would I like someone to do for me right now. Could I do it for someone else?”

“Why won’t anyone listen?” could be “What specific thing do I want them to hear?”

It’s easy to get down when things aren’t working out, and I certainly don’t want to suggest that just changing the questions we ask ourselves will cure everything. But when we reframe the question to be more specific and tangible, it narrows our focus, scopes the problem, and makes it easier for us to act.

And when we are acting, it’s a little easier to see that maybe our situation isn’t so dire as it seemed earlier.

Just thoughts. I hope they help.

Yesterday’s gift of time … Volunteer line judging again for my daughters’ volleyball team.