The Fine Line Between Comfort and Dismissal in Difficult Times

Ever wondered what you should be telling yourself but not others? We've got a mind-bender for you - "It could always be worse". Join us as we navigate this intriguing mantra, pointing out its potential merits but also its pitfalls. We're not suggesting you neglect your struggles, but rather frame them differently, turning the scales of your problems in your favor.

Through this episode, we aim to explore the curious balance between comfort and undermining someone's feelings, and how the phrase "It could always be worse" fits into this context. We discuss how this perspective shifting can serve as a coping mechanism during challenging times, whether you lean on faith, luck or chance. We also delve into why this phrase, while beneficial to our own mental health, may not be the best thing to say to others, especially during significant life crises. Embark on a journey with us that may just redefine how you approach life's difficulties.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there, alright, let's have a little fun. We're going to play a game. We're going to play a game called Name One Thing. You ready for it? I'll go first.

Speaker 1: 0:11

Name one thing that you should say to yourself, but not to other people. Hmm, thinking about it, name one thing you should definitely say to yourself, not to other people. I told you I'm going first. Don't, don't jump in. Just kidding, I know you can't.

Speaker 1: 0:33

So here's the thing, what I think you should be saying to yourself but not to other people. It could always be worse. It could always be worse. You see what I'm saying. It's okay to say it yourself to yourself. It's actually really good to say it to yourself and not, you know, not in this like head in the sand kind of way where you're just denying that a lot is going on in your life. I'm not saying you should put your head in the sand, but I am saying that you should kind of get out of your own head a little bit when you're going through something that you know maybe, just maybe, in the grand scheme of things, is not that big. Now, listen, if you're going through something that is legitimately big, sure, it's a little bit harder, right, but it's still. I still say the same thing. I still say it. I think there is very much something to it that when you appropriately minimize your problems, put your focus on other people, people who are struggling harder, I think it does tend to lessen your burden.

Speaker 1: 1:53

I really believe that, and I know there's going to be people in the comments that are going to argue with me, and that's okay, go for it, I like it. I like it. I like when you want to fight me. I'm just kidding, not really. I do like it better when you agree with me. So just agree with me. It's simple, right? No, but listen.

Speaker 1: 2:12

But if you say that to another person, if you say you know they're like oh, this is going on, and I'm not saying that they're like whining or being a baby, or like they're legitimately saying like I have this terrible thing happening, like, let's say, for example, they lost their mother. I guess that's like really dark, but they lost their mother. That is not the time to say listen, it could always be worse. Not a good time, not a good time for saying something like that, and nor do I think that you would in a time like that.

Speaker 1: 2:41

But we do tend to say things like that to people who are going through things that are maybe not huge. It's like really crappy in the moment, but not a huge thing like a death or something like that or nasty divorce or anything like that. But you know smaller things, let's go small scale. Things like you know their car died or they lost their job. That's kind of a big thing, right, but even still, when you think of these things and you think of it for yourself, when you're saying it can always be worse, you're training yourself or you're teaching yourself to shift your perspective, which is important, really important, to shift your perspective when bad things happen. And if you're a person of faith, you would be putting your faith in God and knowing that God has a plan for your life and for you. And if you're not a person of faith, what do you do? I guess you, I guess, rely on luck and chance and