162. Positive
When I was a little girl, there was a whole series of books about Pollyanna. She was extremely positive. I think my mother pushed the idea of Pollyanna partly because that’s how she wanted me to be: positive. But I was learning to read book after book and was eager to keep adding to my collection so I read and read and read about Pollyanna.
Mother herself was a devoted fan of Norman Vincent Peale, and just as I had a shelf of Pollyanna books, Mother had several shelves of NVP. And I think she truly tried to look on the positive side of things.
Then I went through a period in my life where I scoffed at both. I believed it was fake and that I should be honest about my feelings. I was not going to pretend to be happy when I wasn’t. And I wasn’t going to follow the 24 steps to a happier life ala NVP.
But time passed. And what do they say? What goes around comes around—or something like that. And I will now take a little of both. Perhaps that means I’m coming around to a place of balance (just as I wrote yesterday).
I see the advantages of being positive (in an honest way). I believe it’s better for my health to be hopeful—to see the glass half full—to know that Jesus came to bring light—to spread the Good News.
Both “Yes” Magazine and the United Methodist Women’s magazine “Response” are good examples of magazines which acknowledge the struggles that are going on in the world and the number of people that are working hard to correct injustice; to make peace; to have creative ideas for all kinds of situations.
I vote for that.
