What is the small stuff?

Did you ever notice that when things seem to be going really well, something will occur to "knock you off your feet"? Yes, well I've noticed it too... seems like it happens to us all. You know what bothers me the most though? That other people have the audacity to bring others into their personal problems. I am not a pawn to be played out in your game of chess. I do not care to involve myself in your personal issues.

So anyway, back I am to thinking of how one bad happenstance can ruin a chain of great days. One friend summed it up perfectly saying, "Learned years ago that one "Ah SHIT" knocks out a ton of "attaboys." Why is that? Can we change our own perspective to shake things off more easily? But it's not even about changing our own perspectives, we also have to change the perspectives of those around us. Just because I shake it off, it doesn't mean my co-worker, friend, husband, etc can shake the same occurence off just as easily. What technology exists to reprogram ourselves into "don't sweat the small stuff"? And what is the small stuff? What is the big stuff? How can we differentiate? And who is the final judging authority?

Many unaswerable questions here because every person can answer the same question differently. However, it is my own musings on making myself realize that "it is all small stuff," and that I really don't need to fret about it. One of my favorite sayings is that "everything happens for a reason." Well, in the spirit of that, everything happens for a reason even if I don't know what that reason is at the time. I know that challenges make me stronger, this too shall pass, and it's not about how many times you get knocked down, but rather about how many times you get back up...

My thoughts for a new year and trying to keep perspective on challenges as they come in what is bound to be a year of ups, downs, laughs, cries, and best of all, memories :)