Have you ever known a person that seemed to carry despair and negativism with them where ever they go? An individual who is consumed with all the negative happenings in the world and allows them to dictate the majority of their thoughts and conversations each day?
During my childhood years, I spent a lot of time around an uncle who suffered from PTSD and as a result, had limited social skills. Due to his disability, he spent many hours in front of the television watching gloomy news reports and stories of despair. Much like a dry sponge absorbs water, my uncle’s mind absorbed story after story which he repeated to those who crossed his path each day. Looking back more than 30 years later, I have few memories of my beloved uncle that are not overshadowed by the gloomy aura of negative news events and the fear and distrust of others that he developed over time.
Although news headlines constantly spew stories of controversy, death and destruction, I believe that it is best to limit our exposure and absorption of worldly woes that are out of our control. Let me clarify, I believe we should do everything we can to help those in need and be aware and proactive about potential danger or threats to our society however, we must remember that what wehold in our minds, dictates our thoughts and ultimately our actions. The story below illustrates my belief in a better manner than I could explain…
Once upon a time there was a grumpy old man, a man that was constantly complaining to his wife about his bad life, commonly expressing the words, “The whole world stinks!”
Read the story in its entirety here: Ditch the grumpy attitude
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