While watching Larry Kudlow on the Business Channel tonight he used the word "Pessimistas" to describe the doom and gloomers who always try to make good news bad news and look on the dark side of every issue. I like the term. It is the first time that I have heard of it. Gives me an idea for another Post. It is about time that I get something on the Blog to put the personal military experiences in the background.
It is easy to look on the dark side of anything. To the Optimist the glass is half full; to the pessimist it is half empty. How often have you heard your TV weatherman say something like: "Well we have had 6" of rain but it won't help the drought."? For some reason those in the Media feel compelled to put a negative slant on almost everything they say. Must be engrained in them since bad news seems to attract more listeners and readers than good news. They seem to have a perverse side that compels them to put a bad slant, if possible, on every good bit of news they tell us about.
Surely there will be some hard times ahead. Why, however, should we let this ruin the present. Most of the hard times and catatastrophes that lie ahead are beyond our control anyway. Those who spout constantly that the earth is in peril and that it is up to mankind to save it simply do not understand why we are here and that it is for a limited time anyway. The earth will survive. We are not responsible for climate change. The infinite adjustments that enable us to live here and survive have been ordained by a power higher than ourselves who is in control. The earth will serve us as long as needed.
Fortunately we have a few very verbose and astute commentators using the media to rebut the "Pessimistas." I enjoy all of them. Some are in the business media like Larry Kudlow and others represent the optimistic (nearly always conservative) view on radio and television. Among them are Rush Limbaugh; Mark Levin; Gordon Liddy; Shawn Hannity; Rusty Humphreys; Dr. Laura; Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter. All have an upbeat, positive attitude that is in sharp contrast to the doom and gloomers. We listen to all of them and agree with everything they say with a few technical exceptions from time to time. It is not an accident that they are very successful with many listeners. The negative left has tried but failed to launch a single liberal program that has succeeded in the market place to my knowledge. Bill O'Reilly on Fox news is also usually in the camp of the optimists.
One can look on the bright side of almost everything in life. Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist. Many would be gloomy about the prospect. However, look at it realistically. How lucky we are to have competent dentists who can fix our teeth and stop or prevent pain. What if they did not exist and we just had to suffer with the problems? The same is true of any physical problem or disability. "I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." We live at a great time and should do all that we can to appreciate it and enjoy it. It does no good to look on the dark side. Tomorrow will be a better day. Behind each cloud the sun is shining. (And will continue to shine so long as our Creator decrees.)
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8 comments:
Catching up on your blog! Thank you for this positive outlook! I listen to Laura Ingraham almost every morning while I putter around in the kitchen. We heard Mark Levin speak in D.C. recently and we ran into him later and I told him HE should run for president. He was great. And we saw Laura there, too. Very upbeat and inspiring. Yes, we have so much to be thankful for. Even as we try to help with the problems that exist, we can trust that all is generally going as planned.
Thanks for this post. (But please know that we are enjoying the military experience stories. I still have a few to catch up on and I am looking forward to reading them soon.) Your thoughts remind me of the fictional Pollyanna, who "played the glad game" with every negative situation.
It's true that if we just have faith, we can be comforted to know that all will work out according to His plan. I'm glad He's in charge!
This hits really close to home Grandpa. Thanks for the breath of fresh air. Every time I complain, I try to think of the blessings I have. Often times, my brain doesn't readily think of those things. I need to let the spirit work in me more to help me understand Heavenly Father's plan for me. Thanks again.
True as usual. Jake and I have been watching a lot of documentaries lately, many of them very fun (you should watch Wordplay which is about crosswords), but some are intolerable. Even though we know not to trust them, Jake has been renting some Michael Moore movies--we are watching Sicko now about health care-- and even An Inconvenient Truth. Oh boy. It's hard to not get sucked in, even when you know everyone puts their own spin on things. We always do lots of research after watching to try to eek out the truth. It's so much better to enjoy life in the now and do what we can do in our own lives, rather than worry about things we cannot control.
Yes, upbeat and optimistic is MUCH easier to listen to and agree with. I think it is emotionally and physically draining to listen to people complain complain complain all the time. There are so many ways of looking at a situation, which can be interpreted in many ways. So yes, good thing for those people who represent the good things.
RIGHT ON! I can't help but be an optimistic person when I have a song on my lips! Life is more manageable and happy when we trust in God's power and design.
LOVE this post! It reminds me of a quote I have on my fridge: "It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us...If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, If we will live worth of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." -Pres. Hinckley
I agree with your entire post. I guess I have always been mostly an optimista. Good news doesn't sell. People won't tune into a newscast that has a optimistic slant. I have read that it is the subconscious desire for us to have it better than others. So, we can hear the news and say, "yeah, that's too bad for them," all the while being glad it isn't us.
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