I've had one my entire life. I've carried it around, I've protected it, and I've whipped it out on occasion in harried situations. What is it? It's my Silver Lining Playbook... that inner voice that pushes me onward and upward in the midst of life's chaotic storms... Excelsior!
If you haven't seen the movie, Silver Linings Playbook, I highly recommend it. It's filled with raw human emotion, combined with a ton of neurosis, and a love story to boot. So many of us keep our neurotic thoughts tightly woven and neatly under wraps... but this film let's you see them up close and personal, letting them all hang out. For some, it may be offensive... for others, it may hit home, and for the rest of us... it's simply raw and real.
What lies beneath the surface for most of us is that raw edgy emotion that's just waiting for an opportune moment to explode. Like... when you're stuck in traffic and some nut cuts you off (do you blow your horn or flip him the bird?). Or your nagging significant other calls you 5 times a day to remind you to do something (do you avoid their calls?). Or your control freak boss demands to know your every move, even when you're visiting the John (do you passify him/her with white lies?). You know the players, and you know how their neurotic behavior sometimes lights a raging inferno under your buns.
Life never goes according to plan. So... how do you respond to stressful situations without losing your cool and behaving like a loon? In the film, Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) loses everything - his house, his job, his wife, and even his mind. He receives some wise advice from his psychiatrist who suggests he develop a strategy for dealing with life's blows. It's sage advice that many of us could use. Instead we succumb to embarrassing pop offs and middle finger episodes (perhaps you've only whispered such things in your quiet voice).
Whether you're bi-polar or feeling polarized... anyone can adopt a strategy. The film suggests a one-word reminder for maintaining control... Excelsior (which means ever upward). Incidentally, the word is also the official motto adopted by the state of New York in 1778. The moral of the story is... don't wait for negativity to encroach on your space and push you to epic madness. Murphy's Law... it can, and it will. Have a strategy in place and memorize it like a playbook. It'll help you to stay on track in the midst of a storm and remind you to remain calm. What's your Strat Plan?
Every Storm Has a Silver Lining ~ Mel Peterson
Comments (23)Subscribe to CommentsComment