NO. 936 LIVING POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE WORLD
No. 936
The Next Password is Ham
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
LIVING POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE WORLD!
For the past several months, before I get out of bed in the morning usually around 4 a.m., it has become my custom to say out loud, “Lord, you are so good to me.” This attitude of gratitude helps me start my day on a positive note. I also find something else that helps: when someone asks me how I am doing is to respond by saying, “Fantastic.” So far no one has asked me to explain what I mean. To be honest, most people except for family members and a few close friends really don’t want to know how we are doing, because they don’t want to hear our problems. They have more of their own than they can handle.
When I began to think about my topic today, “Living Positive in a Negative World,” these thoughts came to mind. I believe you will agree that with so much negative news in today’s world, it is very difficult to stay positive even most of the time. If you keep up with the news at all you know the terrible carnage that is taking place in the Middle East day after day; the ongoing scandals in Washington by those elected to represent us; the national debt that boggles the mind; the massive fires, floods and tornadoes that cost countless human lives and untold millions of dollars in damage.
Locally there are reports of murders, robberies, graft and corruption by elected officials, and from my perspective it seems to be getting worse and not better. Unless you completely tune these things out, and many do, you know that our world and our nation are in a mess. I can say with complete certainty that being uninformed is not the answer. We must stay informed, especially when it comes to those who we elect to represent us, because with the right leadership there can be a better day for our children and grandchildren. I am old enough to have lived during a time when we did not have many of these problems, at least on the same scale. During these times a man’s word was his bond.
While I have no way of knowing who you are or how you are doing, and I do care, I want to share a few suggestions that may help you cope with living in a negative world. The first thing is to realize that, as a unique individual, we are either a part of the solution or we are a part of the problem. We should do our very best at what we do, as this attitude will bring us real personal satisfaction. We should slow down and appreciate the beautiful world that God has created for us to enjoy. We should seek out positive people to be around and spend our time with them. If we work with negative people and have to be around them, be pleasant and do not engage in gossip or negative banter, as this will only serve to pull us down to their level.
We should count our blessings and realize that we are truly unique, as there is no other person in the world exactly like us. We should look for the good in other people and make them genuinely feel special, as this is the best way to make new friends. We should take steps to relieve stress in our lives by getting our finances in order (debt causes stress), getting plenty of exercise (as this adds to longevity), and eating nutritious, well-balanced meals in the proper amounts (as this, along with exercise, will help to maintain our proper weight).
And, finally, here is something that helps me a great deal and it may help you as well. Just realize there are some things you can do something about and there are some things you can’t. Resolve to spend your time on those opportunities you can do something about. It’s the only way to be productive. Be an active person and give back to others. When we waste our time we are wasting our lives.
---
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)
The Next Password is Ham
