I was catching up on my Google Reader yesterday, and came across this post (which was highlighted on Anthony's Strength & Wellness Blog).

This post is about the 15 Powerful Things Happy People Do Differently.
I find it challenging, encouraging, and a little incorrect.

It's challenging to discern what category I fit into.
Abundance vs. Lacking.  Do I believe all my needs and desires are met? Or is there always more I could do and have?  Because the truth is.... that's MOSTLY perspective.
Challenges vs. Problems.  Am I person who views problems as the end of the world? Or as a starting point for something great?

It's encouraging because I was surprised to read which side of the dichotomy was positive.
For instance, Meaning vs. Ambitition. It's better to live a meaningful life than to achieve status, accolades, etc.  I believe this with my whole heart, but it's not a popular belief in American culture.
The most encouraging pair for me was Dreaming Big vs. Being Realistic. I'm taught to appreciate logic, a cool head, and realism.  But the blogger claims that dreaming big (nearly impossible) dreams is better than a perfectly realistic mind frame. I love that conclusion! I dream of things everyday that are unrealistic. Perhaps that habit won't be my ruin after all?

Finally, I find the post a little incorrect because it adheres to a cognitive schemata known as personal constructs. Wood (2010) defines personal constructs "as 'a mental yardstick' we use to measure a person or situation along a bipolar dimension of judgment" (p. 71).  Personal constructs aren't wrong, they just don't allow for gray. For example, Trust vs. Doubt or Forgiveness vs. Unforgiveness. The truth is, we aren't all or none. Sometimes I'm working towards trust or forgiveness, I'm not defined by either concept just yet.  Similarly, a person isn't smart or stupid. More likely, the person you're assessing is smart in some areas and somewhat dim-witted in others. Thus, personal constructs are helpful as we make sense of our world, but they limit us in other ways.

15 Powerful Things challenges and encourages me to live out the beautiful sides of each pair.  However, I must also recognize gray areas.  I must give people room to be and grow.  I must allow myself, others, and life to exist in the "inbetweens" of each dichotomy.