I used to practice “positive thinking.” I tried to find the golden thread in everything. I thought that if I changed my outlook then I could change the way I felt. But when your outlook is negative yet realistic all the good mantras sound hollow.
Sometimes the problem is not in your head. It’s difficult to be cheerful if your life is a exploding bucket of shit. Alas, the solution is not in your head either. And you still have a responsibility to do something to make it better. Because if you don’t, well, no one will. You have to be honest about what you need, what you want, and what you have. Then you start walking, even if it’s very slowly. Being brave is that. It’s facing reality, acknowledging the risk involved in your action, and walking into the possibility of triumph.
