Live every moment, laugh every day. Love beyond words.
Accountants draw up balance sheets and I have discovered that we ordinary mortals can do so too. When my life went completely out of control the first time due to paranoid schizophrenia in our home, I drew a line down the middle of a large sheet of paper and gave each column a title – NEGATIVE on the left – POSITIVE on the right side. First, I made a list of all the bad things in my life like:
- schizophrenia,
- suffering
- our son’s loss of his sanity and ultimately his peace of mind
- stigma
- our home that was no longer peaceful and serene
On the other side of the page, I began listing the good things I had in my life and this is what I discovered:-
- I had a healthy husband and two healthy daughters.
- We had a roof over our heads
- We had a garden so I could see foliage from every window or door.
- We heard birdsong on awakening every morning
- I had my writing which could transport me to any corner of this world or a make-believe one.
- I had a supportive husband
- We had good friends
- We had a car so could continue driving out into the countryside sometimes
- Both my husband and I had hobbies and varied interests.
So, my positive list outnumbered the negative one which gave me a great deal to think about.
AND THIS IS WHAT I SUGGESTED THAT PEOPLE DO:-
If you feel a smile begin
Don’t leave it undetected.
Start an epidemic
Get the world infected.
