Accentuate the positive
New Seniors, those born between 1930 and 1945, have had a good run. We’re a positive lot and expect life will be even more rewarding to the end and beyond. As life continues to expand, so do our horizons, spheres of influence and the opportunities to be of service. Yet, with the state of the news these days, it’s easy to fall into the deceptively comfortable habit of negative thinking.
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Look at the problems out there: major unemployment, out-of-control spending, investments and savings going nowhere, deflation or inflation ready to strike at any moment, tax increases looming, medical coverage rates up with services down, more taxes to come, unprotected borders, foreign forces threatening America and more. On top of this, the foods we love are killing us. Hanging on to the barrage of negative information slung at us each day is having faith in the worst rather than the best life has to offer, which eliminates of hope.
Expecting negative outcomes allows one to predict the future, control the results and then say, “See I told you things were lousy.” To make this self-fulfilling prophecy become a reality, requires ignoring the good that surrounds us. These blessings are abundant, even if we refuse to see them. Only by letting go of the negative are we free to open our hearts and minds to the positive things that come into our lives.
This sounds simpler than it is, because we live in a “problem/solution” world. For years, we’ve been instructed to identify the problem, analyze it, develop a plan and implement it in order to solve the problem. This causes us to focus on problems rather than live in the solution. “What’s that,” you say? Everything we encounter is not a problem. Look at them as situations, because if you can’t make a direct contribution to resolving the matter, it’s probably not your problem. It belongs to someone else. Situations don’t demand your personal attention the way problems do. So why worry about it?
Don’t think for a minute that this is a head-in-the-sand approach to living comfortably in today’s world. Nothing of the kind. It is a common-sense way of being able to make a difference where and when you can while not being bogged down with problems that you can’t resolve. This is more a tend to your own knitting way of participating in life. Your job is to sort through the situations until you find a problem that deserves your attention and your involvement can make a difference.
The place to start is at home, then branch out to friends and eventually the community in which you live – like dropping a pebble in the pond and following the concentric circle as the move out. Being of service is a concept that works. It will allow you to get outside yourself by helping others with their problems. The more you do this, the fewer problems you seem to have. And if you think the government is a problem, vote for someone who you rely on to fix things. In the meantime reach out and accentuate the positive, chances are you’ll find real solutions for living.
A+ would read again