Positive Thinking

Positive thinking – it’s the key to making a success of things.  People who start off thinking about a new project with the words, “I can’t…” almost invariably fail.  Those who see no possibility of failure usually succeed.  Obviously it’s not an absolute, but it’s a pretty good way to lead your life.  Other people are drawn to happy, positive people and success or failure is often defined and navigated through other people (life partners, employers, friends, customers etc.).  So keeping a positive outlook is, in my opinion, the biggest single thing that you can do to guarantee success in your endeavours.

So please, someone, explain to me why I keep reading red-top newspapers?  My particular vice is the Daily Mail Online, and I find myself clicking through to it whilst waiting for another page to load, an email to unpack or chicks to hatch (I have hatching chicks!  They’re so cute!!!).  Is it full to the brim with positive, cheerful and uplifting stories to cheer my heart and get my day off to a flying start?  No.  It’s full of depression, doom and gloom.  With a side helping of rubbish celebrities.  Why do I do it???

Today was a classic example.  Lead headline? “Government warns of recession.  Up to 550 jobs per day to be lost up until 2010″.  Argh!  I’m going to lose my job!  I’m insecure!  My children!  My home!  My CHICKENS!!!

Yeah, right.  Now consider the fact that I am not employed.   Nobody can make me unemployed because nobody employed me in the first place.  All my income is self-generated and has the capacity to improve as any kind of recession hits.  My husband has enough work to last him for a year.  Why on earth is this headline stressing me out?  And, dear reader, it really did stress me out – I went from extremely happy (new chicks!!!) to depressed in the time it took me to read the story.

No more.  I am now going to try and give it up.  I can’t avoid tv news quite as effectively, but I may start to buy a tv listings magazine so that I can just turn the tv on to the programs I want, and miss the irritating and depressing stuff (I count most reality tv in this category as well).  I’m striking a blow for the independence of my happiness!