I heard this old song on the radio the other day and it got me thinking.
How would it change our lives if we followed its prescription? We could start with these five phrases:
- Accentuate the positive
- Eliminate the negative
- Latch on to the affirmative
- Spread joy up to the maximum
- Bring gloom down to the minimum
Johnny Mercer wrote that song in 1944. Americans were bone-weary of World War II. With its snappy rhythms and happy lyrics, this song quickly proved a great morale-booster.
The right words could do the same for us
A lot of us are bone-weary of one thing or another. Sometimes hope is in short supply. We worry about our kids and we worry about jobs and what will happen next.
Each of us could make a list of what keeps us churning.
Suppose we fastened on what's good and refused to give in to gloom.
- Instead of listing the minuses in our husbands' we could just as easily count up their pluses.
- Rather than ragging on our children over poor grades in school, what if we pointed out qualities of temperament or character we admire.
- If money is tight we might add up what we are able to do with the money available. (Hint: Include cost-free delights, too.)
- Maybe we spot another new bulge or wrinkle and want to moan. Or we could look at eyes that see. Arms and hands that function as they should. Legs that still carry us around. Etc. That's quite a lot to be thankful for.
We choose what we emphasize
Even in a changing world, old truths still hold, like this one: "Women are the heart of the home."
Having everyone depend on us can feel like a burden. Or we can regard it as the privilege it is.
Moms, for instance, are the mirror through which our children view life and adopt a perspective. Happy moms make for happy kids who feel optimistic about life--and themselves.
Wives and husbands, employed or not, help each other feel they're worth something. No matter how bad the day has been, if they greet each other with smiles and feel appreciated, all the bad stuff fades into the background. Good friends do that, too.
Even if we live alone, we set the tone for our lives.
What do we do when we're empty?
We all have those times when we run on Empty and have nothing left to give. A refueling is in order.
That's when I go back to verses like these.
- By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me--a prayer to the God of my life. --Psalm 41:42
- God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. --Psalm 46:1-2
- I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. --Psalm 4:8
If you're a regular reader--and if you are, thank you!--you may wonder why I so often write about our thoughts. I suspect it's because this is one of my weaknesses. Getting "down" takes no effort at all.
Staying optimistic does.
I've learned to be watchful over my moods and to deliberately pick out what's good in my life, then thank God for it.
You might say I try to "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive."
Q: What's your strategy? I'd love to know.
Blessings,
Lenore

Recent Comments