Even before John Milton first coined the phrase in his poem “Comus,” in 1840, “Turn forth her silver lining on the night, and casts a gleam over this tufted grove,” we have been searching to find meaning, growth or something positive, when faced with a negative situation. Our dark cloud we now find ourselves under, is a world-wide pandemic. Every day, I am searching for the silver linings. As the list of those who have passed away or been stricken with the virus grows, it becomes ever more pressing to find meaning.
My silver lining is the bonus family time we are enjoying. We are less hurried and have slowed down to enjoy nature, listen more, take a bike ride or plan a family meal together. As we move beyond this, I hope we are able to keep the good things we have learned about what is important to each of us. It turns out the little things, really are all the things – that really matter.
So, how do we practice this idea?
- To start, list five things that make you feel like your life is enjoyable, enriching, or worthwhile at this moment.
- Next, think about the most recent time when something didn’t go your way, or when you felt frustrated, irritated, or upset.
- In a few sentences, briefly describe the situation.
- Then, list three things that can help you see the bright side of this situation. For example, perhaps you missed your bus this morning. Three ways to look on the bright side of this situation might be:
- Even though you missed the bus, you got some good exercise when you were running to catch it. 2. You’re fortunate to live in a city where there was another bus just 10 minutes later, or where buses run reliably at all. 3. Ten years from now, you likely won’t remember what happened this morning.
What are your silver linings?
