A Month of Positivity
on From Banglatown to Bangladesh (Bangladesh), 14/Jun/2010 06:05, 34 days ago
Regular readers will know the importance I place on positive thinking in this Desh. For me, it is more than an attitude or an approach, but an absolute necessity. It’s important not only for my own happiness, but also for my abilities to build connections and relationships with the people around me, to maintain beliefs in the work that I do, and in the possibilities of change in this complicated and troubled land.The 'Challenges'To be honest however, there are times that positive thinking is hard. Sometimes the reasons are serious. And sometimes, the sources of attacks are laughably small (laughable once the positive thinking has returned at least). Grey days of monsoon rain, mouldy jeans and milk that sours in a day, the increasing and seemingly unstoppable encroachment of‘wildlife’ into my home (ants, mosquitoes, flying cockroaches, and most recently, bed bugs). Minor illness, sleep deprivation, cancelled meetings in the office, or one too many stares in the market: each of these things has, on occasion, sparked the onset of dark clouds over the sunshine.The PositivesIn these times, a little more effort and concentration is required to remind myself of all the good around me. One of my favourite things about being in Bangladesh however, is how excited I can get about minor occurrences or previously taken-for-granted treats. Just as tiny events can bring on tough times, the smallest thing can spur smiles again.The PlanSo, my plan for the next month, is to record these things that make me happy. Each day I will write a new blog post, choosing one highlight of the day, big or small. Sound cheesy? Absolutely, and it will likely have me cringing in months and years to come. But we all have our ways of retaining energy and enthusiasm in emotionally volatile environments. And, as it turns out, stripping off layers of cynicism seems to be mine.