Not that very many people have alarm clocks like that left any more since most people just use their cell phones, but even they don't make getting up in the morning any more enjoyable. However, at our professional development, we had a speaker who had a different name for the alarm clock--an opportunity clock. Because once it goes off, you have the opportunity to wake up and begin a new day. And you have the opportunity to make that day as great as you choose. Now, while I don't know if I quite buy in to being that optimistic (nothing beats a little grumbling in the morning, especially on a Monday), I definitely know that there is quite a bit of truth in the power of positive thinking. Without going into extreme amounts of detail of what she said (because I'd probably just end up rambling and not making any sense anyway), I feel like it can best be summed up in one of the quotes she shared: A great deal of what you see depends on what you are looking for. If I wake up and expect the day to be long and unenjoyable, then I will probably focus on the aspects that fit that mentality--bad traffic, a burnt lunch, more snow, etc. But if I "re-energize my attitude" (as she said), then I am more apt to focus on the nice thing someone said to me, my chocolate treat after lunch, or the fact that I'm having a good hair day, which will change my perception of the day.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am definitely not Mrs. Super Happy-Go-Lucky. Not even close. I gripe and complain with the best of them. But, I think that if I really try to apply this mentality, even slowly, to different aspects of my life, that I'll find I have less to gripe and complain about. Maybe I'll see that the impending forecast of more cold is bearable because I get to wear my cute winter coat. Maybe I'll see that slow waitress at the restaurant is dragging because she is working two jobs to support her family. Maybe I'll see that the kid always blurting out in class is desperate for attention because he is neglected at home. Maybe.
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