Florida’s Seniors

“Laugh now, cry later.”

“Let us be of good cheer, however, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never come.”

“Nobody is superior, nobody is inferior, but nobody is equal either. People are simply unique, incomparable. You are you, I am I.”

“I’ve got nothing to do today but smile.”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy.”

“The sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet.”

“Don’t give up when dark times come. The more storms you face in life, the stronger you’ll be. Hold on. Your greater is coming.”

Avoid cliches: “You poor thing,” “It’s not your fault,” “Don’t worry about it,” “I know how you feel.”  Comments like those could be misinterpreted and turned into vindication, self-loathing, and even feelings of worthlessness.

Don’t lose focus. Spilling out your own similar experience and heartache is tempting. But that simply diverts the focus and might not be very helpful as no two circumstances are ever exactly the same. Still, sharing your own experience with a friend in turmoil is an option as long as you keep the focus on your friend, advises Karyn Hall, Ph.D., author of “The Emotionally Sensitive Person”.

“Stop cheering me up.” Try a different approach when you hear something like that. Be subtle and ask for more details. Maybe all that’s necessary is to be a good listener. Studies show some people would rather wallow in misery and prefer “negative” rather than “positive” validation.