Love the “What” You’re With

Do you remember the classic rock song, “Love the One You’re With”?  Written by Stephen Stills, sung by Crosby Stills Nash and Young. It’s a reminder that love is all around, so don’t get hung up on obsessing over the one person you lost. Of course, some people saw it as permission for the mouse to play while the cat’s away, but that’s another topic for another blog day.

Instead of singing about loving “who” you’re with, I invite you to look at your life and see all the “whats” going on around you — job, home, friends, neighbors, love relationship (or the desire for one), pets, hobbies, chores. We all have a  lot of “whats” in our lives.  Many times we point to a “what” and accuse it of making us unhappy, stressed out and crazy.

As you know by now, if you’ve read my book “Forget Your Troubles” and have attended any of my info-packed free teleseminars, you know I don’t agree that anything “makes” us stressed and sad.  Stress and unhappiness come from our perceptions and reactions.

But today, I want you to focus on a single “what” in your life — pick something that you have to take care of today. See “what” is on your To Do list.  Select the most important item, the one that will bring the most relief when you cross off the list. And then DO IT!  Love that “what” for the challenge it brings you, for the chance to stretch your patience or your ability or your brain smarts. Whatever the task may be, you can do it.

It will be a whole lot more pleasurable in the doing if you tell yourself: “I love this ‘what’ and I’m grateful that I have been blessed with this particular ‘what’ in my life today.”

Give it your best effort, but don’t get caught in the trap of perfectionism. It’s okay to do average work — that’s why it’s “average” or “common” — and then it will be completed, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are a success, and you learned how to Love the What You’re With!

your happiness guru,

Evelyn Brooks