Things are going badly. Things that I have anticipated have fallen through. People I have relied on have failed me. I can be a realist and see the failures and brokenness. I can look at the reality of the situation and dwell on it. The cup is genuinely half empty, and probably leaking.
Or...
I can choose to not focus on the things that aren't working. I can look for things that are working. That are making the situation better. I can search out ways to begin recovering from the disappointment. I can look for new modes of support. I can look at the cup as half full, and imagine how to fill it up.
The key is to not ignore the failures, but not focus on them either. Put the bulk of the focus on how to make the situation better. To learn from what didn't go right. It isn't exactly lying per se I guess. It is more just shifting focus to a less natural place.
It doesn't matter how genuine the problems you are facing are. Focusing on the problems will never result in a better outcome than focusing on ways to make things better. So even if it feels disingenuous to look on the bright side it is the more productive side to use.
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