Oklahoma is full of bugs. I've lived in this state for seven years, and this year, there seem to be more bugs than ever before. I know some people who love bugs, but I am not one of them. I am not a fan of insects, and no matter how many flyswatters I own, no matter how quickly I shut the door, they seem to be everywhere. In my house, in my car...everywhere.
And it's bugging me. Pun intended.
I've been told that the cold weather moving in will drive the bugs out, and maybe that's true. But right now, there are still moths and caterpillars and crickets and spiders everywhere I go. This afternoon, after helping yet another critter reach the outdoors after trapping itself in my house, I thought to myself, I know bugs are important to the environment, but I don't know why. What is it that insects do? And after doing a little research, I found out.
Insects are one of the the reasons we have produce to eat. They also help in the process of decomposing waste. Without bugs (even those mean old wasps), we wouldn't have our favorite fruits and veggies, and our world would probably be a much messier place.
Learning a bit about why bugs are valuable gave me a thought. While the sound of bugs buzzing in my ear can be a bother at times (and while spiders freak me the heck out), they are still good for this planet. They are helpful and have a purpose here. Realizing this made me wonder: what if I looked at all of the pieces of my life that bother me (whether they are people or places or things) and tried to see their value rather than focus on the negative? What would change? Would my worldview be different? Would I be happier? Would my words and actions be more loving, more productive? Would I help others more than I hurt others?
There are some days when focusing on the negative parts of this world is really easy. No matter what your worldview is or what you believe about life, it isn't hard to fall into the trap of negativity. I am definitely guilty of having bad days. Sometimes I harp on the downside, and sometimes I hold a grudge. But here's the thing: you are valuable. You have a reason and a purpose, and so does the person next to you. So does your boss or your professor, your brother or your sister. And maybe if we started seeing the good in people, who knows what might happen.
Maybe we would forgive and grow. Maybe we would learn more about the lives of others and how to help them out. Maybe we would appreciate our differences and show more understanding. Maybe we would love more and hate less. Maybe we would be happier and healthier if we spent less time picking others apart and more time building them up. And who knows...if nothing else, you could make someone else's day.
You might even make your own.