Relax Eeyore!

If you have ever read any Winnie the Pooh stories, you are familiar with his little donkey friend, Eeyore.  Eeyore is a slow moving little guy, with a very deep voice, who just never seems to be happy.  He constantly worries about everything and sees only the negative in situations. Well, it has come to my attention recently that apparently more and more people are deciding to adopt Eeyore's disposition and to them I say RELAX!!

Someone please tell me when it became the norm to answer the somewhat rhetorical question "How are you?" with a litany of all the woes of the world?  Really?  Are we to the point that there is nothing positive in our lives?  Or, are we so pathetic that we want everyone to feel sorry for us, so we need to disclose all the bad things in our life?  Wow, I hope not!

I have seen this Eeyore syndrome front and center in a couple of cases over the past few weeks.  As you may know from my previous posts, my daughter-in-law is pregnant.  It's her first time, so you really don't know what to expect.  What has really surprised me is how many people feel compelled to share their horror stories from their own pregnancies with her!  WHY??  What does that accomplish except make her worry and wonder if it will happen to her!  Being pregnant isn't easy and every pregnancy is different.  You're a ball of raging hormones! Your energy is being zapped, your emotions are wild and killing a fly can send you into fits of tears!  Knowing this, if you've ever been pregnant, I have to ask why women insist on sharing the worst moments of their own pregnancy with others.  It's like having a bad experience becomes a badge of honor!  Who had the longest labor?  Who had the hardest time delivering?  Who had the most scares during their pregnancy?  WHO CARES??  You created life - what a miracle - that's all that matters! I do know if Eeyore was a girl, he'd  love being pregnant just so he could complain all the time and be applauded for the effort!

I recently reconnected with a friend from years ago.  She found me on Facebook and we started with the usual pleasantries since it's been about 10+ years since we've been in contact.  I simply asked, "How are things in your world?"  Wrong question to ask!!  I heard about a divorce, her move back in with her parents, she hates her job, hates the city where she lives and is depressed because she doesn't have any friends to go out with.  Really?  I can't imagine why no one wants to be around her!  Eeyore would LOVE to be with her!

Finally, I'm shopping the other day and having a ball buying things for the anticipated grandbaby.  I was so happy and having so much fun.  I got to the checkout and mistakenly asked, "How are you today?"  Oh my ... did I get an earful! She was tired, didn't want to be at work, didn't have time for breakfast so was hungry, her register wasn't cooperating and oh, did I find everything I needed? She smashed my good mood in a heartbeat!  I couldn't wait to get out of that store and I promise I'll go to another register if I shop there again and she's on duty.

The point of all this is just this - everyone has problems.  The world is a tough place these days.  Sometimes doing your job isn't fun, that's called reality.  But, do we have to foist our own woes on everyone else?  Is it so hard to find something wonderful happening in your life?  Did you wake up this morning?  Then celebrate that!  For heaven's sake, you're alive, you're breathing, you have the opportunity to make today anything you want it to be!  It's easy to worry about everything, but does that change anything?  Nope!  Does sharing everything bad in your life with someone else make it any better? Nope! You might feel better for a minute or two, but probably nothing really changed.  You'll share the same bitter remarks with the next person you meet as well and what does that accomplish?

If you're in a service role, put your woes away for the time you meet the public. Try smiling! If you are reconnecting with old friends and your life hasn't been so great, ask yourself why before you dump on that friend.  Assess how much of your pathetic life is the fault of your attitude.  If you know someone who is doing the toughest job on the planet - creating life - then shut up about your trials and tribulations when you carried a child and share the great moments of pregnancy and delivery. It's really not all that hard. If you walk away from a conversation thinking "Wow, that person is a bummer", ask yourself how many people walk away from you saying the same thing. 

Trust me, Eeyore is an adorable little guy physically, but his attitude sucks. But you know what?  We don't all have to be Eeyore's. Don't be a donkey - RELAX! We'll all be a lot happier in the long run.