Opposites

What is it about our society? Why have we elevated negativity to such a high status in our culture? What on earth makes us believe that by focusing on the problems, we will find a solution? The ethos of deconstructionism has not only taken over our media, but also our lives.

Case in point; the other day I was reading a blog post a friend liked, titled the 22 Habits of Unhappy People. Now I can see the point of investigating what makes people behave certain ways, if it is done to find solutions. I can understand this from a scientific stand point where they trial certain treatment techniques, drug therapies, even surgical processes to cure people's afflictions.

Investigate a problem to develop a solution. Tradespeople do this everyday. You take your car to the mechanic because it is leaking oil, making strange noises, going sideways down the road, etc. You call a plumber because you taps leaking, the sink is backing up, or there's an unexpected water fountain in the front yard. We look to find a solution, not to focus on the problem and then whinge and complain endlessly about the situation. Tradespeople fix problems.

My Aren't Those Weeds Beautiful

What are we saying to ourselves?

1. My, Aren't Those Weeds Beautiful,
2. Damn those weeds grow faster each season,
3. Round Up will stop those weeds growing back,
4. Let's remove those weeds and replant wild grasses instead.

But the media do not do anything remotely close to providing positive solutions. They do not see that as a part of their social contract. They see their cause as to pull down, to deconstruct. Maybe one could argue that they are unwilling to advance any positive solutions because then they themselves would be under scrutiny. 

This model of short-term thinking has pervaded the majority of our public institutions. People with solutions are now far and few between. The aforementioned blog post brought this into sharp relief for me. Whilst the list of negative mental habits of unhappy people is a great resource, imagine how much better it would be with just as much emphasis given to the opposite, the positive mental habits. (6 to 7 lines about the problem and only 1 line about a solution).

We require a different focus in our daily lives than the one so prevalent in media driven culture. We need to take our focus off the problems and put it onto the solutions. Even better we could look up and see the entire landscape of our lives to prioritise our objectives?

So are we able to encourage people in habits we agree with instead of complaining about what we do not agree with? Can we vent our frustrations and then move on, instead of being bound by them? Can we celebrate diversity and allow each other to choose without mandating our view point as the only way? Will we have the nous to choose the road less traveled?

I believe we all have free will. I believe we have the ability to make choices about where we live, who we are friends with, what we eat and yes - even what we think. So I encourage each and every one of you:

1. Smile,
2. Dutifully tend your field of dreams,
3. Guard your mind against negativity and overwhelm,
4. Look for positive aspects to each and every day.

Until next time dear friends.



Let's Drive
ren0vator


P.S. Guess I will have to take my own advice from now on hey?