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Dancing With Polly(Anna) (By Michelle Martin Dobbins)


Sometimes we all have times when things aren't going according to plan and we may think the wrong thing is happening. Is this the time to get mopey? NO! This is this time to go into Pollyanna mode. Remember her? The girl who saw the good in every situation.

In our house, if we like a song because of its catchy tune, but the lyrics are less than desirable, we change them and sing it our way. Miley Cyrus's song "We Can't Stop" was appealing but not the lyrics about doing drugs, "dancing with molly." So we changed it to dancing with Polly, as in Pollyanna. Now in our house when we ask "Are you dancing with Polly?" we mean are you looking on the bright side.

So how do you dance with Polly?

Step 1: Follow the universe's lead. We might not know why it took this step, but we can trust that it knows all the best dances and you'll get where you want to be. In hindsight, so many things that I thought were terrible when they were happening led to my greatest blessings.

Step 2: Allow yourself to feel how you feel, but let that be a positive thing too. Tell yourself that feeling really rotten right now gives you an excuse to lay in bed and eat ice cream and it's going to make the good feelings that much sweeter when they come. Whatever makes you feel ok with not feeling ok. That might be an oxymoron, but hopefully it makes sense.

Step 3: Make up the most outrageous story of how this "negative" situation could be the best thing that ever happened. I'll give you a recent example from my life. My perfect Spanish-speaking home school helper, who we adored and who helped do my laundry (Seriously, in a months time, our whole family had fallen in love with this woman) hurt herself last weekend and now she is laid up awaiting hernia surgery. She's not going to be able to come back for quite a while, if at all. I could think this was bad news, but I decided to "dance with Polly" instead. How could this be the best thing that ever happened? First, I had a temporary replacement within the day and she is someone who we love too, even though she doesn't speak Spanish. Then, maybe this will give us a break from Spanish that we might have need. Our next person might be incredibly fabulous. She might speak Chinese, like to clean, and make cookies for the kids. She might be an art major with connections for my daughter who wants to apply to art school. Our original help might even get to come back in a few months and the time off might have given her much-needed family time or helped prevent future health problems. I don't know why or how, BUT I know it's going to work out wonderfully.

I could write so many examples of how to make up outrageous stories and most of them have come true for someone. What if you lost your job and it led to you getting your dream job and making more many that you could have imagined? Or all you possessions were destroyed in a fire, but it brought you closer to you family and you got so much joy from starting over and re-building and you met someone important to your life because it happened. Even if you don't feel it yet. Make up the story. The more outrageous the better.



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