Focus on the Positive...but Develop from the Negatives

If you are a creator or thinker who needs alone time to thrive, it can be very confusing to friends and family that you like being alone,  even crave it at times to create a new idea you had or ponder a new topic you read. This is especially so with a new partner, group of friends, or future in-laws. While some may only feel hurt and ignored, other social butterflies meaning well may often diagnose you as depressed, and you may even start to question it yourself after repeated allegations.  Are you sitting alone to sulk with time dragging or are you relaxed in the quiet with time flying by? Do you think about life's problems or contemplate innovative ideas? If you want to draw, paint, build, write, read – and lose yourself in your individual hobby of choice, you are NOT suffering from depression! What to do if you are constantly chastised about this?  It can, depending on how pushy the person critiquing you is, become frustrating and lead to feelings of guilt, shame, or

Is there a psychology of snow? Across the Midwest, or at least in the Chicago area, it seems winter fanatics love bragging about expected snowfall, whether to friends, co-workers, strangers they are next to in line, or these days, all over social media – but more than likely, it's probably all of the above! If someone emphasizes disgust of the four letter s-word, most of these winter wonderlanders will shovel their cold preference on even more and plow that person over when Mother Nature gives us a few inches. Is it because they are in the minority with most people having more negative feelings towards the white stuff? Are they simply emphasizing their opposite opinion to take their turn in feeling special, showing they are unique just like any other snowflake? Or are they cold-hearted just like the blizzard they speak of so longwindedly? Do they enjoy burying others with their own misery and hope to add hypothermia on top of frostbite? Do all these people really l