The Simple Things

 

   The Simple Things

  

  How do you stay positive when the whole world sometimes seems to be circling the drain? When I focus on the news of the day, politics, the next crisis just over the horizon, and all the terrible things brought to me live and in color on the daily news shows, it is hard to keep a positive attitude. Knowledge of the world can be very depressing. Is the answer to shut it out completely, do my best imitation of an ostrich, stick my fingers in my ears? That's the course I see many of my friends taking. They simply don't want to know about anything that might disturb them. Sometimes, I am a little jealous of their ability to do that. They seem like happy, peaceful people. So, is ignorance bliss? I guess if you can pull it off it may be. But I don't seem to be one of those that can. I've never been able to completely ignore current events. When I've tried it, I get that uneasy feeling like I've forgotten something. You know that feeling like, "Did I leave the stove on? Did I lock my car door before I came into the house?" Yeah, that feeling that something is just not right. So, yes, I like a little warning before I wake up one morning with a stormtrooper in my house pointing an automatic rifle at my head demanding I turn over all my weapons, demanding I watch only CNN, stay off the internet, and eat my genetically modified breakfast, or else I will be brought to prison without being charged with a crime, without access to a lawyer or a phone, and where I will be waterboarded until I confess to something I didn't do. Call me paranoid, but I would like just a little heads-up before something like that happens to me.

  So how do you stay positive when so many negative things are swirling all around you? Personally, I tend to employ three different methods to keep myself informed yet positive in outlook. I don't rely on all three at the same time, and sometimes I lean more heavily on one strategy more than the others. Method one is to focus on the little things in my life. I love to sit on our deck in the morning and drink my coffee with my wife. I find much pleasure and peace watching the birds feeding and squirrels frolicking about running up and down the tall pines. A cool breeze, the soft sound of tinkling wind chimes, the buzz of a passing hummingbird all make the cares of the world seem not quite so important or ominous. Walking through the woods and by the lake can do wonders for freeing the spirit of negative things. So method number one is all about appreciating the little things that we often take for granted.

  Method number two is where I try to focus on more grandiose things. I look at the bigger picture of history, the world, and the universe. I often let my mind wander through the universe and imagine what I might find out there. The majesty of the stars at night is breathtaking and reminds me how small and petty human endeavors are compared to the infinity of the cosmos. I am humbled by the thought of how all of humanity and all our endeavors may only be a small footnote in the history of the universe. The Bible says human life is a vapor - here one moment and gone the next. Pondering infinity then seems to do the trick at times and gets my mind off of my worries and fears about the future.

  Method number three perhaps is the one that many rely on, and it may surprise many of my friends that I do too. I lay my burdens on Jesus. My faith is not a crutch as some have argued. If it is, then it is a crutch worth having. For it gives me peace of mind above all else. My faith was not given to me in some inspirational flash when I was at my weakest moment. It was not the result of peer pressure or brainwashing. I grew up without the benefit of such things. I grew up in a Godless environment, and my family didn't even own a Bible. And the subject never came up. My faith was obtained through conscious choices when I got old enough to read and study what my options were. I looked at all the possibilities, weighed all the evidence, or lack thereof, and after much consideration, I just decided to choose faith because the alternative worldview was just too bleak to desire at all. I was overjoyed to find that once I made my choice, Jesus chose me to be part of him as well and filled me with a peaceful spirit. I still see all the negative things that happen and keep happening in the world. I still feel the impact of them on my life and my consciousness. But now I have a shield that keeps those things from fundamentally changing or damaging who I am. Besides, all the negative things in the world such as evil men or evil spirits can only kill my body once. But now, I no longer fear even death because of my faith which provides a peaceful refuge from the world. So in the big picture with my faith as my shield, I can stay positive in the face of all the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." And I highly recommend you at least give my three methods a try with the greatest emphasis on method number three. I hope you will give it careful consideration as a means for holding on to your sanity and your soul in the face of so much negativity in the world today.