Percieve Happiness-Achieve Happiness

Life is not without its sad moments. Things can be very overwhelming and stressful. Some people  focus on the negative. Others are happy in spite of the negative. Fact is, the negative exists, its how we handle it that  determines our happy level.  I used to be quite the complainer. Things were never good enough. Life is hard. I recently realized that I don't do that so much anymore. Not much has changed...if anything, gotten harder. I take that back, one thing has changed, my perception. I have come to a place of acceptance. My kids are needy, loud energy sucking vampires. It was a never ending topic to whine about. " I'm tired". "I'm lonely". I'm underappreciated". YEP! YEP! YEP! All true. I'm not really sure how it happened. When did I realize it isn't so bad? This is my life, that's how kids are, and bitching about it wasn't getting me anywhere. I accept that they drive me crazy. I accept that they go, go , go  the minute I wake up in the morning. I accept that the destroy clean rooms. They pour juice on freshly mopped floors. They poop in clean diapers...that I just changed 3 seconds ago. It is what it is and ITS OK! In the last year I have become a much happier person. My perception has changed. The kids still write on the walls and pee on the floor. We have a convo, clean it up and move on. I used to have this constant dread facing the never-ending tasks the kids would create for me. One after another. Especially if I just sat down or better yet...got on the phone. I have had people comment on how easy-going I am, I usually joke back that Im just broken and burnt. The kids have beaten me down with relentless shenanigans. But, wait...perhaps, it's true?  Could I be more easy-going? WOW! Now, that's a wonderful self-improvement these children have forced me in to. I'll take it. I have learned to not sweat the small stuff. In the past not only did I sweat it, I marinated in it, soaked in it....and obsessed over it. Not any more, partially cuz I don't have time and partially because I needed to avoid ending up in a straight jacket. Thank goodness for growth. I have to say its about the only thing I like about getting older....