he decided to sell and move elsewhere. He asked a
realtor to write an ad. The ad said:
If you have ever had the urge to
farm but just have not found the
right place that suits your needs,
here is a farm for you. Situated
in a great location with an
immaculately maintained house,
this farm has sturdy barns, lush
pasture lands, a beautiful and
serene pond, fertile soil, and a
magnificent view.
The farmer read the ad many times and then with
a huge grin said, “I’ve always wanted a place like
that.” He never sold the farm.
How we view life, its situations, and its people can
make a difference in how we respond to it. Do you
view the world through a negative or positive lens?
J. Sidlow Baxter writes, “What is the difference
between an obstacle and an opportunity? It is our
attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a
difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.”
We have little control over what other people say
or do, what catastrophes or illnesses might occur,
but we can control how we respond to these
realities. We can do so either positively
or negatively.
Artist and author H. E. Davey put
it this way: A positive attitude is
most easily arrived at through
a deliberate and rational
examination of what you must
do to have steadfast positive
thoughts. First, reflect on the
actual, present condition of
your mind. In other words, is the mind positive or not?
For example, if we say, “It’s absolutely freezing today!
I’ll probably catch a cold before the end of the day!”
then our words expose a negative attitude. But if we
state a simple fact such as “The temperature is very
cold,” then our expression is less negative.
Mindful awareness of our thoughts and
responses makes it possible for us to recognize an
attitude of negativity before we speak or act. The
potential to be positive exists in every situation
and interaction. An optimistic attitude ensures
that our words and deeds will also be positive,
inviting ourselves and others to view a situation
differently and to feel hopeful.
In her book It Is Well With My Soul: The
Extraordinary Life of a 106-Year-Old Woman,
Patricia Mulcahy writes, “I told Ella Mae Cheeks
Johnson, then age 105, that she was the only person
over eighty who I’d ever met who never referred to
her physical infirmities or health problems. To which
she replied, “I have my difficulties; I do not rejoice
in them.”
Living with a positive view allows us to see how life
flows with both its challenges and joys and helps us
to engage that flow with humour, wisdom, patience,
and understanding. A positive attitude strengthens
our capacity to handle the difficulties of life. It
enriches our relationships, enables us to be grateful,
encourages us to see beauty and wonder, eases our
anxiety, and diminishes stress. All of this is very good
for our spiritual and physical well-being. I invite you to
approach life with a positive, life-affirming attitude. ●
news&views AUTUMN 2019 | 31