a new week, a better week

Most people who know me would likely describe me as optimistic and upbeat. Sure, I have bad days, but I usually recover fairly quickly by focusing my attention towards something positive. I usually make it through each week by creating little things to look forward to throughout the week. For example, Tuesday is Roommie Night with wine and reruns of Sex and the City. Wednesday is LOST and "hump day" signally I'm half way to Friday. Thursday is Grey's Anatomy with wine and popcorn. And of course, there is happy hour at Nacho's each Friday. Usually these little things keep me positive and optimistic. I'm just little miss sunshine, with a Pollyana attitude.
This is why when I had a bad week, not just a bad day, people noticed. Last week was all around terrible. I was quiet and sullen. I cried a lot. I was too inwardly focused on my own thoughts to be available and in the moment with other people. I was "not myself."
When I woke up Saturday morning, I decided that I had let my emotions ruin my week but I would not ruin my weekend as well. It was on Saturday that I discovered the value in "retail therapy." I learned that I am, in fact, my mother's daughter. I'm not saying I learned to love shopping. But as I walked around H&M, and then Macy's, I was distracted from all that had been bothering me throughout the week. Instead I was looking for ways to treat myself, cheer myself up. After all, why should I let other people affect my mood?
This weekend was not what I had originally hoped it would be. But it still ended up being fun.
Today is the start of a new week. I'm back to my sunshiney self and believe that I just have to focus on the little things that make me happy rather than get mired down in the disappointments that are out of my control. Some of the things that bothered me last week still need to be resolved. But in the meantime, I plan to focus on the positive. Because my attitude is something I can control.