On a positive note …

Whew! We survived 2017 and that’s all I’ll say about that. We’re being positive, right? So Happy New Year to you, to us, to all those we hold dear.

When I was thinking about what I’d write today, I remembered something my mother used to say (and do) every time I moved into a new house or apartment.

“Fransi,” she’d say, “remember to bring a piece of bread, some salt, some sugar and a new broom with you the first time you go in. And make sure you enter with your right foot first.” It wasn’t enough she’d

Back to reality …

Don’t know if you’ve realized it, but for the last little while I have been making a real effort to think (and write) only about the positive: Pleasant memories, good times, gratitude and so on.

It’s worked, too.

The more I’ve concentrated on the upbeat, the less involved I’ve been in the Trump madness, the better my mood and my attitude have become.

But nothing lasts forever, I guess. The world isn’t rosy all the time and fake euphoria (like fake news) doesn’t do anyone any good. So I’m going to give in, vent for a minute, get it off my chest, and hope it’ll go away. Then

Accentuate the positive …

My resistance must be lower than normal.  Either that or for some reason I’m being tested.  Because I can’t remember any other time in my life when absolutely everything I tried to do turned out to be unnecessarily challenging, difficult, trying and frustrating.  But that’s the way it’s been lately.  Jeez!

Thankfully I’ve got some very good friends who are okay with me calling and venting, getting it off my chest.  That and I’ve been taking one helluva lot of deep breaths, let me tell you.

Rather than dwell on it though, I’ve decided that every day I’m going to think of something good, something positive, something to be grateful for.  No, no, no, not the obvious, you know, for my parents, for my family, for my career, for waking up in the morning. Of course I’m

Despite all the gloom and doom …

Last week I wrote about the sorry state of the world. Ironically, at around the same time I was feeling overwhelmed by it all, a ‘gratitude’ challenge was making the rounds on Facebook. It was really interesting, and inspiring, to see what people were sharing.

I’ve been thinking about it ever since — and about the coincidence of the timing — and realize it’s for an important reason; and it carries an important message: No matter how bad or challenging life may seem we must acknowledge the good, what is working, what’s right, what’s positive.

Which doesn’t mean to say we should stop questioning, or paying attention or ignore what’s wrong or never feel sad or turn our backs on those who need our compassion and help. But we do have to learn to be grateful, to thank our lucky stars.

In my case, there’s a lot to be thankful for. Starting with the fact I woke up today. I know that sounds cliche,

What the world needs now …

A recent WordPress Daily Prompt’s headline was “Seven Wonders“.  Am I the only one who immediately thought of the Seven Wonders of the World?  It is obvious, no?  But of course, that wasn’t the point of the prompt.

It was much more intriguing:  “Khalil Gibran once said that people will never understand one another unless language is reduced to seven words.  What would your seven words be?”

I’ve gotta tell you, dozens and dozens of alternatives popped into my head right away.  But the more I thought about it, the more this one just seemed to stand out:

Try looking for the good in people.

Never in my life can I remember a time when there was as much hatred, intolerance, animosity, prejudice,

Day 213. Positive Outlook

It’s so interesting.  Yesterday I wrote about how I refused to let a bunch of cranky people ruin my day.  This morning I decided to read a magazine I found inserted in the newspaper the other day.  It’s one I’m familiar with, already.  It’s called Tonic and it’s all about living well.  As in living healthy.

They write about yoga and natural remedies, nutrition, fitness and all that good stuff.  That’s so good for us.  You know.

Anyway, don’t they have an article in there about the benefits of optimism.  Positive thinking.  I kid you not.  Talk about timing.  Bizarre, isn’t it?  Coming the day after I decided to ignore the nastiness around me, and keep a smile on my face; and in my heart.

Of course I read the story.

I’ve always been a positive person.  I really have always tried to see the bright side.  To believe everything works