The Workshoppy Smell of Oil (Photo: Kiff Backhouse)

Life is Pretty Damn Good

There is a great deal that I like about my life. For example, I have a kind and considerate husband, a comfortable home, a fascinating job and some fabulous friends. There’s more, much more, but that’s just to give you an idea.

Sometimes Life is Less Good

In spite of all this, however, there are still less good times and occasions when I worry. This is because, wait for it, I am completely normal. Often, whatever is on my mind can be dealt with by going out for a good walk or bike ride. Sometimes, it takes a little more.

Other Times Life is Crap

A long time ago, I turned up at a friend’s garage workshop, in tears. Life was not going according to plan and the whole going-for-a-walk approach just wasn’t going to work. Instead of offering me a tub of ice-cream and a lengthy commiseration session, they got me to change a wheel on my LandRover. For me, that was perfect.

Growing up, I spent many hours working on old LandRovers so the workshoppy smell of oil was fabulously familiar. Immersed in the job of changing the wheel, together with the exertion (those wheels are pretty heavy, I can tell you), made a great way to take my mind off things. It helped me get some perspective and see which direction I needed to take.

Keeping the Crap in Perspective

Now, whilst I realise that changing a wheel might not be your bag, I do believe that redirecting our attention to something positive can be a fantastic start point for getting things properly into perspective. Instead of dwelling on what’s not working, engaging in something we enjoy can be a great way to starve the problem of the fuel it needs to fester. For me, shifting the emphasis towards the positive, brings about a balance.

Sometimes life is crap, but it’s where we choose to direct our attention that counts, don’t you think?