February 11th is National Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day! Spilled milk is a travesty for cows, but we know we can always make more. The purpose of Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day is to focus on positivity.
If you have been living under a rock and aren’t familiar with this idiom, let us explain. Don’t cry over spilled milk means don’t worry about something that has already happened and can’t be changed. If you have spilled a glass of milk, you can’t un-spill it or try to scoop it back up and put it back in the glass. Your best bet is to clean it up and not dwell on the accident.
The origins of this phrase can be traced back to the 17th century when it appeared as a proverb in James Howell’s Paroimiografia. The 11th is an opportunity to approach things with an optimistic outlook.
It’s so easy to simply say “Be positive” or “don’t cry over spilled milk”, but how can you actually adopt a positive attitude? Here are 4 ways to become more optimistic.
Choose positivity.
You can’t always choose or change your circumstances, but you can change your outlook. When you realize that positivity is a choice and not a default characteristic that a lucky few individuals are gifted with at birth, it may make it easier for you to act in a positive manner. You can’t always change the situation but you can choose how you will react. Framing positivity as a choice you can make gives you some control and power in challenging situations.
Think of the worst that could possibly happen.
This may seem counter-intuitive, but one strategy to free yourself from the worry or the anxiety of all the uncertainties that could possibly happen is to prepare for them. When you are living under a mountain of the unknown, you have to worry about a multitude of possible negative scenarios. Go ahead and confront those negative thoughts, think of the worst. Then plan out how you would prepare for or address that situation. Odds are, the worst case scenario will not happen. However, this mental preparation will equip you for whatever the day brings.
Focus on contentment.
Negative thoughts are often focused on what you don’t have, what didn’t happen, what could’ve been, etc. Instead of thinking about all the things you don’t have, what you couldn’t accomplish, or what didn’t happen, let your thoughts be focused on contentment, abundance and your past successes. Ever heard of the saying ‘count your blessings’? There is a reason phrases like these stick around, because they are often true!
Slow down.
Fast-paced negative thoughts can spiral out of control. When we are in a hurry it is easy for things to go wrong and for our thoughts to get carried away. When we force our minds to slow down by going on a walk or taking a deep breath, we can more calmly and rationally approach situations and examine them from multiple perspectives, including a positive one!
Happy Early Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day!
Original source: https://squarecowmovers.com/dont-cry-over-spilled-milk-day/