Hello Everyone,
I found a notepad that my mother had written on. It was divided into two sections. On the left were reasons to live, on the right were reasons to no live. This is taken from the notepad word for word.
Live Die
Blessings To die would be
many-have told easier than to
me I should go continue
forth with joy suffering.
that I would
recover. I am so
miserable.
Many, many prayers
in my behalf Bowels
Name in several Fluid
temples
Yellow
Many who
love and care
about me.
Much fasting
for me.
Many prayers
have been
answered-
Swollen-ness did
get better for
a time.
Many people
need me and
depend on me.
I am a worthy
daughter of
God.
Partaking of the
sacrament.
Life spared
blood clots
blood too thin
x-rays
Then she went on with some questions.
Why do I have to be sick?
Why after all these prayers and fasting, blessings haven't I gotten better?
Will this ever end?
Why can't the doctor's find an answer?
Then she had some goals written down.
Be totally honest.
Never miss a month of paying my tithing.
I thought this was neat. She has always been honest with herself yet optimistic. I have learned that optimism and realism need to go together. It has been said that people never make unrealistic goals, they put unrealistic time frames to their goals, don't reach them and then consider themselves failures. Imagine how unrealistic it was to say that people could talk internationally or that people could make an international trip in less than a day back in the 1700's. Well, the thought would have been realistic, because it is, yet the time frame was not right
According to the dictionary, optimism is "A doctrine which emphasizes that everything is for the best. In my own words, to be optimistic is to have a conviction to know that all is well. The dictionary also states that realism is "Concern or interest with actual facts and things as they really are. So how does realism and optimism tie in? Let me relate a recent incident. My mother’s passing. The reality is, she is no longer physically with us here on earth. How can that be positive? She is no longer suffering, and, the amount of time spent here on earth without her, compared to the time spent with her in the eternities, is minimal.
"With his picaresque novel The Adventures of Augie March (1953), Saul Bellow won both a National Book Award and his first popular success. The first-person story of a young Chicagoan from a lower-class Jewish background, it follows Augie through a series of jobs, locales, and relationships-both comic and serious-that constitute the "hero's" education in life. Augie's refusal to follow the opportunistic path to success taken by his older brother Simon, his insistence on maintaining his freedom and an integrity of sorts, and, above all, his inextinguishable spontaneity and optimism lead him (and the reader) by the novel's end to recognize that freedom resides in admitting that one's fate is one's character."
I have to agree with this. I honestly believe that our destiny is up to us and only us. I would like to close with some notes I took from Dennis Waitley’s "Psychology of winning."
"That which you fear or expect most will likely come to pass. The body manifests what the mind harbors."
The most identifiable quality of a total winner is an overall attitude of personal optimism and enthusiasm. Winners know that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy; a person usually gets what he or she actively expects .
Take this self test. Before and after applying these simple steps. You will notice a difference.
I am generally optimistic about all aspects of my life. Yes No
I expect the best of health for myself. Yes No
When I am discouraged, I indulge in a form of self pity. Yes No
I look at problems as potential opportunities. Yes No
I praise more often than I criticize. Yes No
Tips:
Wake up happy. Optimism is a learned behavioral attitude. Start early in life-and early in the day-developing positive self-expectancy. Wake up to music or read an inspirational message. (I like to read my scriptures in the morning. It helps to set the tone of my day.)
Use positive self-talk morning and night. "It will be another good day for me." Etc.
Find something good in all personal relationships, and accentuate the blessings or lessons in even the most trying circumstances.
View problems as opportunities. After listing your most pressing problems, write a definition to each problem. Now rewrite the definition. This time as an opportunity or exercise to challenge your creativity or ingenuity.
Learn to stay relaxed and friendly no matter what tension you’re under. Instead of taking part in group griping, single out someone or something to praise.
When people tell you their problems, give them solution-oriented feedback. Always focus on the immediate question. "What’s the answer?"
Remain optimistic by associating with winners and optimists. You can be realistic and optimistic at the same time. Realistically examine the facts of a situation while remaining optimistic about your ability to contribute to a solution or to the best of many alternatives.
Best Regards,
Nathan W. Pace