good mental health starts with our ability to see value in places where other people aren't even looking. now through the end of the year, i'm challenging myself to find something new to appreciate every week.
there is a very short list of foods i won't eat because of their taste.
black licorice.
kombucha.
olives.
olives are the worst. how hungry was the first person who ate one and decided to keep eating?
black and green, stuffed or marinated, doesn't matter. they are all yuck, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating that people all over the world love them.
and that leads us to the great appreciation misconception.
people think appreciation is linked exclusively to what they like.
it's easy to appreciate what you enjoy, but if you can appreciate what you don't like, you're that much closer to a healthy mindset.
mental health is a zero sum game. the more time you spend being annoyed, the less time you have to be anything else. now flip that around. the more time you spend looking for reasons to appreciate the world, the less time you have to stew in your own angry juices.
challenge yourself to pick one person/place/thing/idea you personally don't enjoy and find a reason to value its existence.
and if you ever invite me over for dinner and you're serving anything with a tapenade, i'm busy that night.
but I do appreciate the offer :)
for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com
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