Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Don't Worry - Be Happy!

"People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be" - Abraham Lincoln

How happy are you? I know, life is difficult. Bad stuff happens in the world. That is a given. It is tough for everyone. So what?

When I was growing up my dad told me that my attitude was up to me. He added that how I react to situations will determine my happiness, or lack there of....not the situations. He was right.

It is all a matter of your perspective. If you try to place blame on everyone and everything around you, you will forever be upset. If you whine about everything, you will just be a person who is miserable. Better to look for solutions than just bitch constantly. Do not allow jealousy or hate to take over your psyche.

A few days ago I was at the gas station behind a beautiful brand new Mercedes S550. This car sells for around $80,000. It was beautiful! On the rear window it had a small sticker that read: "F The President". Politics aside, I felt very sad for the person putting gas in this car. He had obviously earned a lot of money, but he just looked miserable (no smile, just a snotty pucker of a mouth). The sticker on his car proved to me that he was full of bitterness and venom. Even if you don't like the president, you need to have a lot of hate in your soul to put such a sticker on your luxury car. It would have been a better thing if he was "for" somebody, rather than just being "against" someone.

Rather than focusing on the things you hate, direct your attention to the good things in your life. I try to teach my daughters to be happy for the good things they have, and not to constantly be thinking about the things they do not have (or situations that make them sad). People spend too much time directing their energy toward the negative.

There will always be problems. There will always be people who have new and better toys. There will always be politicians with whom you philosphically disagree. There will always be stuff that pisses you off. Why focus on that all the time?

Let you mind concentrate on the blessings exist in your life, and put your focus toward how you can use those blessings to better your situation (and better the world around you!).

Here is your homework. For the rest of the day, only think about the good things in your life...OR, if you must think about negative situations,....concentrate on how you can be part of the solution. Do not focus on the bad stuff in your life (or in the planet). Focusing on the bad stuff will make you feel bad all day.

If you concentrate on the good, you will find that you will have a better day. If you have a better day, then repeat this all week, all month, all year!

Have A Great Day.

thom
thom@thomsinger.com

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Being against a president of the opposite political party is the american way. Both sides do it (remember Bill Clinton? and just wait for Hillary...the republicans will make Bush Bashing look like kindergarten when she wins). If we did not hate "W" what would we do all day? Don't knock having venom in your soul, it is all we know.

Glenn said...

Hey Anonymous,

It might be all you know, but it's not all I know. Thom's right. I've got very strong political opinions too, but I'd rather be FOR someone, than AGAINST someone.

Second, I really don't enjoy seeing "eye" pollution like the "F" word on bumper stickers. It offends me and it demonstrates a lack of creativity.

Anonymous said...

I think y'all underestimate the level of vitriol that exists in the country for the president. This gentleman could very possibly have been amongst the few who declared early on that "the emperor has no clothes" and was labeled a traitor because of it. Divisiveness started at the top this round and the leaders led by example. No way or reason to put a happy face on it when people are dying.