I pour a lot of me into what I write. Can you tell? There’s no recognizable path, from what I can see myself. It just comes. Rarely do I struggle with long bouts of writer’s block even if occasionally I find some of my posts are a bit on the rambling side of life. Focus, Kel!
I write about shoes, running, motherhood, the military, my family and friends, food, and anything else that strikes my fancy with hopes it can reasonate in others. Sometimes it’s completely surprising what my readers enjoy, other times I go down in flames. All this being said, a good friend shared an article with me essentially saying my joy is overbearing and drives people away. Not in so many words. Really not in any of these words.
The article took me back to a previous conversation I have shared on the blog about how I was told I didn’t have an opinion on anything and if I did then I wasn’t sharing it. Or something like that. Specifically, the article used the example (and I’m only slightly paraphrasing) ‘if you find yourself facing a terrible situation and tend to rely on the phrase “at least it isn’t” blah blah blah, then you’re guilty of this so-called toxic positivity, aka FONO, or fear of a negative outlook.’
Gee, thanks. I feel so much better now. Not only am I non-opinionated but now I’m too happy to experience negativity properly. Can’t win, huh? Admittedly, at first, I felt very targeted. What’s wrong with me? It took a few days, but I came to the conclusion you just can’t make everyone happy. You’re either too happy, too down, too polite, too rude, too something. Maybe I don’t like confrontation, maybe my goals are of the dream-way-too-big variety, maybe I strive for success bordering on insanity. At least I’m not a debbie downer! (No offense to anyone named Debbie.)
Even moments of success are coupled with mixed emotions. Positive thinking can only take one so far. I’m as normal as I can be – as I want to be – and self-awareness changes with time.
So if you can’t find me, I’ll be over here with all my sickening joy whilst you complain about what’s wrong. Just don’t be overly surprised when I don’t know what to say to comfort you. Most likely it will begin with “at least”….
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I ask you –
Do you have joy down in your heart? Everyone sing it with me! I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!
Had you heard the term FONO before today?
Name some emotions that rhyme like this: Debbie Downer. Moody Judy.
Running on Fumes 