- No matter what happens, you’re not a victim. It’s up to you to determine your response.
- Embrace your life’s purpose. Make your own unique contribution that turns your environment into a better place and fulfills you.
- Make the reality your reality.
- Don’t be distracted by the overwhelmingly negative news around you. Instead, read The Intelligent Optimist.
- Don’t look back too often. Keep yourself open to today’s new opportunities.
- Listen to your friends and loved ones, but don’t become dependent on what others think of you.
- Be grateful for everything life has given you and for every step forward you can take.
- Make sure you laugh often. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Page 77, The Intelligent Optimist, vol 11, Issue 3, May/June 2013
I hope these bullet points stir up stories for yourselves and to share here with the rest of us.
I’ve been relying lately on the “Don’t be distracted by the negative news…” point. I remember taking a journalism course in High School where I learned that good, happy events rarely make news.That’s even more true today when news is mostly done in sound bites where bad news seems to fit easily. The good tends to be on-going, not fitting into one or two sentences.
The suggestion made by the Intelligent Optimist to read itself is more than just marketing. It’s one place to retreat and focus on the positive changes occurring in the world that sometimes seems overwhelmingly dangerous and destructive.
So, I’ve been listening to music more and watching TV news less – giving my brain a break.
monagustafsonaffinito 
Happy new should make the headlines, but sadly people want to hear the bad. Great post. uplifting!
And Terry, we need all the uplifting we can get, don’t we … ? Thanks for commenting
Your message brought back a special memory to me. In high school I was elected the class optimist. I had not thought of myself as an optimist, but my mother seemed to think that my classmates knew me pretty well. In any event she always encouraged her children to always do the best they can with what they had and where they were and always look for the best in all things. That has always been my mantra.
Jack
Jack! How great to hear from you. Yes, I’ll testify. You are an optimist — often working very hard to put it into practice.
” Make sure you laugh often. Don’t take yourself too seriously.”
Oh yes. Hard to remember, but very effective when i do:) And listening to more music – yes! Thanks for the always great reminders. Mona
Thanks Leelah. I so appreciate your attention and comments.
Thanks for the info. I get good news off the internet so I can share it with the residets. Most of the news on TV is not nice.
And, it seems, becoming uglier and uglier and less and less balanced. Is it a matter of who “owns” the news media? .. Hmm. I know the answer to my own question. Thanks for responding.