“Needed today is a generous dollop of creativity in the human sphere—in particular, in the ways in which we human beings relate to one another personally, carry out our work, and fulfill our obligations as citizens” (Gardner, 2–8, p.101).
I couldn’t agree more with Gardner in this quote. I have been feeling lately that people seem more unfriendly, negative, and unkind. I see this at work, church, among neighbors, family members, and, unfortunately, in myself at times. I certainly understand that life is never easy, and can be extremely difficult-especially in this horrible economy. However, handling challenges by frowning, snapping at others, and having a bad attitude only perpetuates any problem. When I’m at the grocery store and I meet eyes with one unhappy face after another, I start to internalize these looks. When I’m at work and people don’t bother to say “Hello!”, I start wondering what is wrong with me!!! My mood can be altered by this negativity from others, yet I am just as guilty of rolling my eyes when the person in front of me at the check-out is taking forever. I find that feeling rushed, tired, and stressed brings out the worst in me, hence the eye-rolling and the snapping at my own children. After taking this Creativity class, however, I have a whole new appreciation for people who seem to always show kindness and self-control in their behavior towards others. I now value pleasant people more than ever and believe that they probably use creative techniques to endure stress, while managing to spread a nicer atmosphere everywhere.
Recently, I had many things going on all at once, and I could feel myself slipping into a perpetual bad mood. I decided to view my situation from different perspectives to see if doing so would help to alleviate my negative attitude. First, I told myself constantly about how what I was facing would soon be over. Also, I tried to emulate a friend of mine who seems to have mastered the art of rising to the occasion and not letting life get her down. Lastly, I pictured myself as an actress who played the part of an upbeat, happy person. I must say that these three strategies worked! I remained pleasant during this stressful time and thought twice before I showed such negativity in the check-out line. Furthermore, I found that the more I smiled out in public and at home, the more I was smiled back at in return. A little creativity in a person’s behavior can manage to spread some much-needed joy.
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