I enjoy and often agree with this man who has a weekly "thought" he talks about on the radio here in Los Angeles. Here are two that caught my attention in the past weeks:

The first is about Positive Thinking....


Disposition or Discipline?

Have you heard the story of a shoe company that sent two salesmen into the jungle? After a few days, both came back. One was frustrated: "It was a waste of time. None of these people wear shoes." The second was enthused: "Tremendous opportunity here. None of these people wear shoes."

It’s pretty obvious which salesman was more successful, and for that matter, which is most likely to be happy. Everyone knows that positive attitudes produce positive results, right? Then why are so many people so negative so often?

My daughter Samara is a high school senior. For months she and her friends have been preoccupied with college applications. Most applied to lots of colleges “to be safe,” and all of them learned this month that they were admitted to at least one quality institution. You’d think they’d be happy. Instead they have been filling their Facebook posts, text messages, and conversations with negativity. Everyone, it seems, found something to be unhappy about, and as they share their disappointments, they bring each other further down.

What a shame these teenagers choose to dwell on the schools they didn’t get into rather than the ones that accepted them. And let there be no mistake – it is a choice. Ultimately, the most important factor in happiness is not disposition but discipline.

It’s natural to have negative thoughts, but we don’t have to let those negative thoughts define a situation. The simplest way to improve our lives is to develop the habit of positive thinking by consciously and consistently replacing every negative thought with a positive one. It takes patience and practice, but it pays off.

This next one deals with self imposed ignorance that leads to prejudice....

Shameless Ignorance and Shameful Prejudice

A while ago, I spoke about my frustration trying to keep up with the uprisings in the Middle East and Northern Africa, the nuclear meltdown in Japan, the status of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the federal and state budget cuts. Now I have to add the tornado in St. Louis, wildfires in Texas, and Kobe Bryant’s ankle injury.

Many listeners chided me for worrying so much, proudly proclaiming their informational isolationism, a conscious and guiltless decision to limit their concerns to things that immediately and directly affect their lives.

It sure would be easier, but I can’t adopt this strategy because I believe I have two ethical obligations to understand and care about matters that impact dramatically the lives of so many people, even if they are strangers. (Okay, I admit the ankle injury doesn’t meet this test.)

First, I think all citizens have a responsibility to know enough to form intelligent opinions, especially on issues of public policy relating to whom and what they vote for. Second, it just feels wrong to not consciously feel empathy and compassion for fellow human beings who are suffering or serving our country.

In a democracy, every citizen is a public official, and there are responsibilities that come with our rights. I treasure our privilege to think and speak freely and to select our leaders, but the exercise of these privileges undermines rather than advances the theory of a government for and by the people if shameless ignorance and shameful prejudices become prevalent.

Maybe I could learn to worry less, but I still must do my best to do my part.