Put on a happy face

I won’t deny that we live in a very negative world. We take a gamble every time we walk out the door. Honestly, we take a gamble even if we stay in our home. There are so many ways to get hurt or worse. So, it is no wonder that we tend to have a sour view about life.

But that is not our natural state. Have we watched a child’s face when they find wonder in something as simple as dirt or water? A beam of light shining through a blind is fascinating to them and yet we find a 3D high definition movie boring.

I suppose that ignorance is bliss.

But could it be that they know something that we don’t know? Or that they do something that we don’t do? Yes. Children approach everything with a sense of wonderment. It is not about ignorance. When they are six months, six year and in some cases sixteen years old, they still find dirt fascinating. They have a different worldview. They believe that everything will work out, that they can fly, that ain’t no mountain high enough and ain’t no valley low enough. Dirty isn’t just something you trample under your feet. Dirt is a sand castle or a mud cake. Dirt is fun.

Until the world convinces them otherwise.

 I don’t want to ignore the world for what it is. But when we focus on the negative of the world, then we are not seeing what the world truly is. A complicated mixture, but one definitely full of beauty and goodness. We won’t be able to see that beauty or goodness, until we learn how to meditate on things that are of a good report. In other words, seek the good, wonderful, beautiful and positive in life.

If we search, we will find what we are looking for. If we look only for the negative that is exactly what we will find. The average one-year old doesn’t look at water in a kiddie pool and think, I don’t want to get into that water because pampers and water don’t mix. No, they think about how fun it could be. They may even take that pamper off and splash away.

My point is that we should all be of positive mind and body. Take time to look for the good in life activities and other people. We will be happy when others can’t understand our smile.  So many people feel that a sour disposition is a sign of wisdom. But a negative attitude does not make you wise; it just makes you older than you are.