the business of misery

have you heard that new song? the one that talks about being in the business of misery?? i would give credit where credit is due as far as title and artist ... but i have no idea who it is and really don't care enough to go look it up ...

anyway, i heard the song the other day. and something hit me. hard.

in today's day and age, a lot of people ARE in the business of misery. there are people who tend to see the negative in everything. instead of trying to find ways for things to be done, they only see how things cannot be done. they have become very passive about things that aren't going well in their lives. rather than correct these things and make life more enjoyable, they choose instead to wallow in misery. and what really gets me is that they seem to almost ENJOY it. i'm not talking about people who have a bad day. and i'm not talking about people who are depressed. i'm talking about the people in between. who tend to have a lot of bad days and who are likely on the road to becoming depressed.

my heart aches for these people. it is so much more fun to see the good things in life. what else is there to enjoy but life?!? i wish there was some way for me to help people like this ... but the truth is, i think it all comes from within. the first thing that must change is attitude and perception. without taking the initiative to see things in a positive light, it is likely a person will continue to see only negative. it's not something you can learn ... it's a choice from the heart.

anyway ... when i heard that song, this is what i realized: i've been starting my own little business of misery. i think i used to tend to see things in a positve light. but ... i've been slowly drifting to the other end of the spectrum. and i don't like it at all.

up until about a year ago, my mother would always say "kara, you are TOO optimisitc!! it's gonna get you in trouble one day! and you should get stressed out more ... it'll help you get more things done!" i know she was joking, and i would always laugh. but secretly, inside, i liked that. i enjoy being known as a typically happy, positive person.

i realized that i have not heard my mom say that for a very long time. because i have not been overly happy or positive. i'm not by any means depressed or sad, but i no longer go out of my way to brighten up people's days.

i suppose i just got busy. between going to school full-time and working several different jobs, i think i've started to take life too seriously. life is way to short to not be enjoyed to the FULLEST.

i know this is starting to wear on keaton a bit as well. i have been negative about our relationship. rather than delight in it as i used to, i have been down in the dumps about being long-distance. sure, it is very difficult to maintain a solid relationship when you live four states away, but it is nothing that cannot be done. we've done it before! so why on earth am i alienating the one i love more than anything in the world simply because we don't live in the same state? that is ridiculous. rather than build him up, as you should in a relationship, i have been bringing him down and making him feel guilty for something we are going through by no fault of his.

i challenged myself that day i heard the song about the business of misery. and today, i am going to challenge every single one of you (3 people who read my blog! ;) as well. here is the challenge:

I CHALLENGE YOU TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.

i'm talking EVERYone. from the person who cuts you off on the road to the person who bags your groceries. from the ones you love and care for to strangers you meet on the street. try to do what you can to improve every single person's day. and by all means, SMILE!! trust me, it will make you a much happier person. it will bring you joy and make you feel good about yourself. and it will train you to be a much more positive-thinking person, much more optimistic.

and i guarentee you it will improve your relationships! nothing will make you a happier person than this!!

smile!!!