"The world is a looking-glass and gives back to every man the reflection
of his own face. Frown at it, and it in turn will look sourly at you;
laugh at it, and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion." (William
Makepeace Thackeray 1811-1863)
It is amazing how two people can
go through the same experience and get precisely opposite things out of
it. Two prisoners looked out through the bars - one saw mud in the
courtyard; the other saw stars in the heaven.
There is the story
of two girls who went for a walk in the country. When they arrived back
home, they were asked if they had enjoyed it. One talked about nothing
but the dusty road, the flies and the heat and how uncomfortable it all
was. The other girl spoke of a field of wildflowers and a glimpse of the
sea at a bend in the road that she would never forget.
In my work
I meet many elderly people. Some are miseries and complain about
everything. They are upset about the weather, the government, their
ailments, money or lack of it. After spending time in their company you
can come away feeling almost as irritable as they are. There are others
who are an absolute joy to be with. I knew one couple in their nineties,
and no matter what their current situation was, life for them was a
bundle of laughs. Later it was a privilege for me to conduct their
funeral services with the sure knowledge that they had achieved
everything possible out of life. I'm no medical expert but I do feel
that there is a strong link between our attitude to life and our state
of health. The state of mind has a lot to do with the state of body. It
isn't our problems that are bothering us; it's the way we are looking
at them.
Life is largely a question of attitude. Some see only
the dark side, the gloom and doom. They go through life with a chip on
their shoulder believing that they have been given a raw deal. Some take
a positive view believing that every cloud has a silver lining. And life
is very much what we make of it. Undoubtedly pessimism will draw us down
to greater depths because it is self generating. Optimism likewise is
self generating, it will encourage us and uplift those around us.
Pessimism - optimism. The thirsty man was given a glass of water.
"But it is half empty" he complained. "No," said the giver, "It is half
full."
Keep your eyes open - there is much to see and admire. And
keep open your hearts - all that we are comes from God. Give thanks.
Ron Clarke JP An
e-mail from Kingborough, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
http://word4week.com
