Tell Me The Positive

Tonight, in a meeting about the children's book I am co-writing, we began by each sharing a good experience we have had during the last few rounds of edits. I'll admit, I was glad when the sharing went the other way around the table, so I had ample time to frame my answer. These last few rounds of edits have been tough, as the editing group has tried to mold a coherent narrative out of the wildly divergent pieces we have all created. I have had frustrations, and sad moments, and "grrr" moments--a bunch of them. But when faced with this task of sharing a good experience, I couldn't help but shift my focus from what had bothered me to what I had gained from the process.
 
It was a brilliant way to start a meeting, actually--to disarm what might have turned into a venting session and turn it into a gathering that emphasizes similarities rather than differences.
 
So many things that happen to us can cause frustration--roadblocks at work, challenges in a job search, conflicts with family members. After the fact, we can often look back and see the good that came out of that frustration, but what if we were able to focus on that good sooner? Might we then be able to turn these frustrations into more productive choices? Might we be able to appreciate our challenges, rather than just struggle with them? Might the resulting product be stronger for it?
 
I came out of tonight's meeting feeling more like a team member than when I'd walked in, and with a brighter outlook than I'd expected to have. Challenges are hard. But when we can stop and focus on the positive, even just for a moment, we can often turn our challenges into some of our most brilliant successes.