Rain, Rain, Go Away.

   You know the words... Come again another day! Here in the Dallas- Fort Worth area we have been singing this old nursery rhyme for a while now. The rain that we have been desperately needing for a while now has not only got us out of the drought but has turned in to major flooding. But you already know this, so why am I telling you this? 
   Well, naturally this has became the topic around the office and gets brought up in conversation with patients. Not only because it is the major news line everywhere you look, but also because I hate rain. I really do, I hate grey skies. I am definitely a fan of the sun and warm temperatures. I  prefer degrees in the 90's vs the 70's, you may think I'm crazy. But I really do, I like the sun and the heat. So in casual conversation with patients I may something like "I'm so tired of the rain" or "I hate the rain". And a typical response would be like "I know, enough already!" But I had one patient that stopped me in my tracks the other day. Note, this patient has a very good and positive outlook on life. She is one of those people that you want to be around, someone who you can learn a lot from. You probably know someone like that. But I walked in to treat her and almost subconsciously made a comment about how I hate the rain. Her response, "But it is so cleansing." I thought what an interesting perspective. And she is right, it is cleansing, and needed. It births new life, washes away the old. Like the country song, "Rain is a good thing."
   You might be thinking, big revelation Dr. Austin! Everyone knows that. I guess the reason I am sharing this story with you is to remind you to always look at the positive. In every situation, even if it seems like there isn't or can't be, there is a positive side. Look for that, and find that. Focus on that. The more you focus on the positive and down play the negative the better off you will be in this life.