Don't be a Debbie Downer

I wrote a letter to Ken's Mom and stepdad today. She needed some cheering up, and she has told me how much she enjoys my letters. I was writing about how both Ken and I enjoy writing our journals so much, and that we have some regular readers who seem to like visiting us. I know that we all have our share of trolls, but like I told Ken's Mom, for the most part, our little online community is full of kind, caring, compassionate, and funny individuals! You all have left some wonderful, generous, and funny comments lately, and I'm sure Ken will echo my sentiment that I appreciate them all, and I'm so pleased that you enjoy whatever my brain happens to spew out on any given day.

 

It all got me to thinking. (Run for your lives!)

 

I was feeling kind of down about things in the world the other night, and I feel that my entry reflected that. I apologized to you all, and wrote that that's not really me, that it's unusual for me to feel that way, and you said really nice things like "that's part of being human," and that I should "revel in my humanity!" I took all that to heart, so from here on out, my entries are going to be bleak, dark, depressing, and bitter.

 

I'm totally kidding!

 

Actually, I DID take your comments to heart, and I'm going to accept that there will be rare occasions when I don't feel upbeat, and actually feel pretty down about what is going on in the world at large. However, I really am a pretty cheery person, and I think most of my entries reflect that. I may be thoughtful at times, and I may get pissed off once in a while, but I'm usually a positive kind of gal.

 

I think we've all known some people along the way who are the electron to our proton. I believe that for the most part, if we exude negativity and ooze nothing but bad vibes, that's exactly what we'll experience in our journey through life. I'm not going to go all "The Secret" on you or anything like that, but I really do think our attitude can affect the direction of our lives. People are drawn to those who project a positive outlook, and that can definitely affect our experiences in our work and personal lives.

 

It gives me a lot of joy to realize that I've touched someone in a positive way, whether it's by getting them to look at things in a different way, providing words of encouragement, or just by being my usual goofy self and making them laugh at my lame jokes. It's all good...and it's all positive. I don't think you'll ever find me being the voice of gloom and doom, because that's just not my nature, and it's...well, it's just not all that much fun, is it? I write for fun, both mine and yours. If I'm writing stuff that brings you down, that's not fun for you OR for me.

 

You all know that I do write about some serious stuff quite often, but that's not the same as being negative. I know that when I read things that are nothing more than nasty, bitter diatribes, it really turns me off, and I don't want to go back. I really do appreciate those of you that read and enjoy what I write here, because it makes me think that on some level, at some point, I just might be bringing a smile to your face, and that means the world to me. In fact, I'm smiling right now as I write this!

 

I'm all about zero drama and just having fun. I think that for most of those people who my pal Jillian and I used to call "Negative Nancy" (No offense meant to any Nancy's who might be reading this! It was just an "N" name that sprang to mind.), if they ever stop to look back at the circumstances of their lives, and the decisions they have made along the way, or if they take the time to check what type of attitude they are projecting, they'll figure out that maybe they brought a little of some of their misfortunes upon themselves. But that's unlikely to happen...it's easier to be a victim and continue to delude yourself into believing that everything was done TO you and nothing was done BY you. (And I'm not talking about true victims here, victims of abuse or crimes..I'm talking about those who are victims in their own minds.)

 

Anyhoo, I'll have my moments where I question the capriciousness of the universe, the randomness of life, and the general idiocy of humanity in general...but all in all, life is pretty darn good. I've always felt that joy is all around us, and although sometimes we have to look a little harder to find it, it's always there for the taking. Helen Keller wrote, "Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow."

 

I hope you all have a joyous and joy-filled evening, my friends.

 

 

Tags: Positive outlook, negativity, joy