Say Yes

We may consider him who is hardened to all sorts of events as a happier man than the one who takes all the joy out of living by looking only on the bleak side of life.


(Immanuel Kant)

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Hello Stuart

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One of life's mysteries is why some people enjoy the good things of life who haven't really put much of themselves into it, while others who may have spent much of themselves living and helping others to live never have a full cup. Nature knows nothing about equal rights.



We have all been knocked about, pushed over, had the floor disappear from under us, been lied to, betrayed and beaten up, some of us more than others. But even the most successful and healthy men and women have something to complain about if they want to. There are many temptations lurking in the mental and emotional alleys to do harmful things to ourselves and others. If we are wise we resist them.



One of the worst temptations and one of the most dangerous because it's popular and seems so innocuous is the desire to think and speak negatively about life. Things are not 100% right. So what? Why dwell on them? Set them right, if you can. If you can't, forget it and get on with life.



Negativism is a form of theft. By thinking and acting on the dark side of human experience we rob ourselves and other of the spirit of life,the enthusiasm,the expectation of good. We look for the trash instead of the beauty. We live with the torn fabric, the leaky faucet, the lost opportunities, the regrets, because we think it's reality to do that. We rob others because we make sure to notice and comment on their flaws and faults. It helps us to ignore our own. And the big crime is that a negative thinker will probably not see an opportunity to do good things, to improve life, to set things right.



I recently read a story about an Army Chaplain whose duties were consoling the relatives of the men and women who were returning from Iraq dead or maimed. On a daily basis he faced extreme cases of grief, resentment, rage and horror stories from the physically and emotionally wounded. Because he refused to be tempted into darkness, he found the compassion and the words to help those people reach a place of peace and acceptance..And he was commended for it by his superiors.



The real heroes of the world are those who carry the cross of healing on their shoulders, who make room for joy, who plant seeds of renewal, who deem possible the dreams of others and who say "no" to the no and "yes" to the yes.

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Dana Bate

Vagabond Journeys

Never Give Up

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