The reading of a bedtime story to my daughters is something I have always cherished. It deepens our bonds as we discuss the day, it relaxes and prepares for restful sleep. It also frequently prompts reflection and learning opportunities for all of us. This is very much the case with a family favourite ‘A Squash and a Squeeze.’
I am sure many of you will have read this book but those that have not it begins with a lady lamenting how tiny her house is and the fact it is such a “squash and a squeeze.” She consults a wise old man who instructs her to take her hen into her house. This is then followed by a goat, a pig and a cow! As she reaches her wits end amid the chaos he instructs her to take them all out again. She is delighted and rejoices as she recognises it was “weeny for five but gigantic for one.”
How many of us drain our energy and disempower our mindset by focusing on what we don’t have? Perhaps regarding our home as in this book, perhaps with regard to our relationships, our friendship group, our health or our job?
Imagine if we all met our very own wise man today and he asked us to shift our focus from what we do not have to what we do have and list all the things we could find to be grateful for regarding our home, relationship, friendships, health, job etc.
For the majority we would find that even in periods of adversity, stress and frustration there is still so much to be grateful for.
Gratitude is a natural antidote to fear and anxiety. That shift in focus to gratitude will empower our mindset and allow us to bring a totally different energy to the day ahead.
We can all be our own wise old man today and shift our focus from what we don’t have back to what we do have!
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