Are you a glass half empty or a glass half full kind of person? For me, it depends on the day, but I try to be a glass half-full girl. According to Michele Promaulayko, editor-in-chief of Women’s Health Magazine, in her July/August 2009 Letter from the Editor, “brightsiding – routinely finding the silver lining, even during tough times – not only combats depression, it actually helps you live longer. What’s more, optimists tend to have better marriages and reach their goals more easily.” I don’t know about you, but those are a lot of really good reasons to look on the brightside.
Sometimes, that feels impossible thanks to difficult circumstances and/or difficult people. I recently attended the Ladies Who Launch LIVE event where Reba Rambo-McGuire spoke about “basement people” and “balcony people.” She pointed out that we all have basement people and balcony people in our lives, but we ultimately control the role that they play. It’s our choice how we let their opinions or comments impact our outlook. It got me thinking, who are the basement and balcony people in my life and who has a stronger influence on my outlook? More importantly, what role do I play in other people lives? I hope I’m a balcony person, but it’s definitely worth examining.
Take a look at the people in your life and notice your interactions with them today. Do you have the opportunity to be a balcony person to someone? Do you need to put some healthy boundaries around a basement person? Practive brightsiding it for yourself, your family and your friends. How does it impact your spirit and your day?
With a name like Reba Rambo it’s kind of a shame she hyphenated it…