My blog posts are usually positive since I’m generally in a good mood when I write them. Occasionally, however, I go through a season in which I feel extremely negative, anxious, sad, or angry. When that happens, my perspective shifts from being hopeful and optimistic to cynical and pessimistic. On some days I can alternate between those two perspectives several times as the day unfolds. To give you an idea of how much those perspectives differ, here’s a comparison, starting with the negative:
“So many people are so stuck in their own heads and wrapped up in themselves that they don’t know, don’t understand, or don’t care about those around them. They don’t care how much they hurt them in small ways or big ways and how they make their lives just a little bit more difficult and painful. There are a handful of people I’ve come across who see things similarly to the way I see them. They’re willing to listen, willing to learn, willing to do better and be better. Those are the people I’m going to focus on, not the ones who don’t want my help. I’m going to live the best life I can and help those who actually want my help. That’s the best use of my time, my effort, and my energy. Why would I try to help people who don’t want my help? I’m going to do the bare minimum to get by with those people and save my efforts for those that are interested in what I have to say.”
And finishing with the positive:
“I want to do what I can to help others get their lives together as I’m slowly figuring out how to get my own life together. What would happen if even a small percentage of people did that and then helped others do the same? Imagine how much more free, peaceful, loving, compassionate, healthy, wealthy, and thriving the world would be. Whether my own original ideas are what end up doing the greatest good or I end up just pointing the way toward other ideas that more people resonate with, I’ll be happy. Of course, even if the world doesn’t miraculously change, I can still help a few people live with more peace, joy, prosperity, and time for the things they find meaningful. There’s nothing I’d rather do more than this.”