By Terry Alburger, Life Engagement Coordinator
Everyone lives in his or her little corner of the world. We all have our families, our friends, our jobs, our experiences, and this is where we exist, in our worlds. Sometimes our corners intersect with those of others … a statement that my mathematician father would have disputed, I’m sure, but, figuratively speaking, sometimes our corners do intersect. Our corners of the world, that is.
Within your corner, you no doubt have people who have your back, who defend and support you, who are both literally and figuratively in your corner. These are the people who you choose to let into your corner, whose company you enjoy and on whom you can rely.
Your corner is not necessarily a physical place but rather a mobile radius which surrounds you at all times. Though distractions may try to permeate, you alone are master of your corner. And in that corner, you alone can choose how you will react to outside forces, the interactions in which you choose to participate and your responses to that which comes your way.
Oftentimes, and especially of late, the events of the world, of our nation or even of our towns get to be overwhelmingly distressing. Sadness and discouragement sometimes pervade our life; anger and grief may invade our beings. It can’t be helped. But just remember - you have your corner. You have a place to which you can retreat. When in your corner, you are in charge; you are the boss. You rule that roost. So, go there and regroup.
Sometimes when the chips are down, it’s nice to have that place where you can go and where you can be temporarily unreachable. In your corner, you have the right to turn off that cellphone, stay away from the TV and computer and shield yourself from social media. Sometimes I think we are all much too accessible, slaves to the electronic devices we carry. Free yourself from time to time when in your corner and just enjoy life in real time. YouTube videos will be there tomorrow and Facebook posts can wait. The time you spend with friends, family, the joys of the season are much more fleeting. So, enjoy them without distractions. Remember, in your corner, you’re the boss.
The term “in your corner” most likely comes from the boxing concept of those members of your team who tend to you and support you between rounds when you are sitting “in your corner.” These people offer encouragement, medical attention, coaching and advice. This is exactly what you should seek to find to populate your corner. This is the basis for the best teams. So, choose wisely.
Though your corner is not an actual place, you can choose to see it as such. In these busy days of the holidays, this is a great way to combat stress. Picture, if you will, a giant bubble around you, much like a snow globe. It keeps your positivity inside and repels the outside forces that tend to darken your mood. This is a great visual tool to help keep you calm and happy. Often this, combined with some deep breaths, is all you need to win the battle against stress and to improve your mood substantially.
Terry Alburger is the Life Engagement Coordinator at Brittany Pointe Estates, an Acts Retirement-Life Community in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. This column was published online by Montgomery Media on December 12, 2017.