The empty page was staring at me, wiping out my mind. So, I closed my eyes and turned my attention inward, rummaging through memories and thoughts in search of something. Anything that could trigger my process, that could set my fingers in motion.
There's another memory from my time with my father. I've always admired his ability to turn upsets into setups. And here's another fragment surfacing. A scene from an old movie. I opened my eyes and slapped something on the page.
It can't rain all the time.
Two days ago, I learned something about optimism from Martin Seligman himself. One of the traits of optimists is that they treat every setback as temporary. And that was one of my father's strengths.
If something doesn't work, roll up your sleeves and make it work.
That was his attitude. Whatever trouble we were going through, he recognised it as temporary. He did not indulge in self-pity but worked to find a solution.
It is a great mindset to practice.
Yesterday, I saw the trailer for a new version of The Crow, a movie and comic book that I adored when I was younger. It's a dark movie, by all means. But there's something the main character says that I still remember—a glimpse of hope in a sad story.
It can't rain all the time.
Maybe that can be a good starting point, a mantra to remind ourselves that it can't rain all the time.