Emphasize the Positive

My husband and I had a car conversation about the news and how it emphasizes the negative, rarely mentioning the positive events happening around us every day in favor of murders, wars, corruption, and what have you. I have faith that the positive is happening, but it’s not unfounded.

I look around me and see people helping people all the time. I see strangers exchanging smiles over a shared amusement, giving each other a hand when disaster strikes, or just taking a moment to acknowledge the other travelers on this planet.

This is not to dismiss all the organizations who coordinate big efforts, but again, the news “helps” there with pointing the corruption or politics behind them when given little more than a nod to all the good these organizations do on a daily basis, and then most often only as a side note in a major disaster piece that focuses on what people have lost more than how they are managing to carry on.

I’ve been doing the “Things That Make Me Smile” posts for a bit now, but they have a purpose that is not served by a full post, so this is more along the lines of a spinoff on that concept.

I’m curious as to what you all do to counteract the flood of the negative. There must be ways you use or we’d all be sunk in a pit of despair.

To give you some idea of what I’m talking about, I begin every morning with Deidre McCalla. She’s politically and socially aware, she doesn’t try to sugar coat things, but she offers hope along with some things to think about in the form of largely up beat folk guitar. Here’s a taste I want a particular friend to hear. Music starts at about 1:41.

If you want to hear more, here’s her site: http://deidremccalla.com/

My husband watches the story Chuck on DVD. It’s not grand literature or great drama (though it has its moments), but what it has is a belief that the world is worth fighting for.

Your turn now. If you’re willing, post an example of how you counteract the negative and emphasize the positive. I can’t wait to see what you all do, and maybe pick up some more smiles on the way.

This entry was posted in Appreciation, Philosophy, Smiles. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Emphasize the Positive

  1. Jean says:

    I guess I look at cats and smile.

    • Margaret McGaffey Fisk says:

      Yours, or those on the Internet? But good point. Cats and dogs, along with other furry and not so furry friends, offer much comfort and giggles. I don’t call my youngest “Silly Lily” for no reason. She can manage to roll around a chair seat so much she falls off :).

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