Remaining Positive in an Increasingly Negative World

A friend posted this video earlier today on another site and it really made me think about the concept and importance of remaining positive and being grateful in life.

The gentleman in this video is, in my mind, an incredibly strong and amazing individual. From all outward appearances and from understanding the harsh circumstances in which he lives daily, it would be very understandable and very easy for this man to remain bitter and angry at life.

Suprisingly enough, he is able to display a level of gratitude and happiness that I have rarely encountered, even amongst those of us who seem to have everything we need in life to allow us to be happy.




So after watching this video it left many questions inside of my own mind to be answered, and most definitely it made me question my own level of gratitude and my own personal attitude toward life in general.

And I wonder....what is it that creates pessimism within the human heart? What is it that causes some to see the glass so empty, while others who are way less fortunate are able to see the same glass as full? Is outlook and attitude a personal choice or is it determined by DNA, by chemical make up in our brains? By past experiences? Or is it a mixture of all of the above?

Or is being happy and gracious in life simply a matter of making a choice TO be happy and grateful? I have never believed that life is as simple as an attitude and a conscious effort to see the bright side of things, but seeing someone in the position of the man in this video, who even with no arms or legs seems to exhibit a higher level of thanks and appreciation than most people in society today, self included.

Anyway, within this sea of negativity in which we all exist currently, I am happy to be able to share a little positivty in hopes that someone else will be challenged to question their own level of gratitude and happiness in life.

Please feel free to share any thoughts or opinions on the subject, good or bad. Cheers

reply to post by BlackOps719


Beautiful video, thanks for posting

reply to post by SpreadLoveNotHate



I agree, and Im glad you enjoyed it.

Just trying to counter all of the doom and gloom with a little bit of hope and humanity. Low morale kills the soul and prevents people from realizing their full potential.

And it never hurts to count your blessings.

i didn't watch the video, but man, this is a battle. we are given troubled times to make us contemplate, but the time is murder on me. i want to get going....
the toughest thing ever thought up is a negative person in the workplace.... to be humble and positive in all of life is the scriptural answer

I'm beginning to think that the only way we could ever turn out so unhappy is because we were taught to be. Generally from birth, we are taught that acceptance = happiness.

I hate to use the word brainwashed but we are brainwashed as for what we find attractive, what makes us feel happy, what makes us feel pride, etc. Everyone knows that media effects what we find attractive. Well if it can alter such a subtle and subconcious thing like that, who is to say it doesn't also for what makes us happy, what inspires us, etc.

We are taught what to think greatness is to such an extent, that when you meet someone who you know is truly great (not famous, just a truly good person), you are so confused as to why that person doesn't inspire you or excite you.

Strangest thing is you can spend an evening alone doing what you want, being principled and really living in tune with your will. The next day you feel like crap. Or you could go and sell yourself out, "being cool" and hanging out with the in-crowd, then you feel like a million bucks the next day socially. You know that option 1 was really the best thing you could do. But it's option 2 that makes you feel better.

Or one night you could lucid dream, or maybe even astral project - performing a feat that is the pinnacle expression of intellect, imagination, creativity, and self-control. Only to wake up in the morning feeling like a waste. Whereas if you spent the same night appealing to the opposite sex's base desires, you wake up the next morning feeling like a million bucks.

We are simply taught from day one that acceptance = happiness, and there doesn't seem to be a cure (deeply, internally) tell yourself all you want that your higher goals give you higher rewards, but there is no getting away from the reward-structure that has been hammered into all of us from birth by those who know no better.

It simply should not be so hard to be happy.

reply to post by BlackOps719


In a way, being good is a rebellion against the overwhelming evil in this world.

I honestly think it's becoming increasingly positive. People are waking up, the American dream is over, they are starting to push back against their oppressors. I think it's very much looking increasingly positive, and that's probably the real way to stay mentally positive, change your outlook.

If you enjoy negativity, does that make it positive?

Personally, I say, stop judging things that way. If something feels unpleasant, move away from it. If something feels more pleasant move towards it. Use attraction/repulsion to help guide yourself, to find YOUR path. But dont pretend your repulsion for something or dislike of it has any objective meaning.

The power of positivity and the ability for human beings to maintain hope is essential for our survival. It is in many harsh conditions the one and only thing standing between living and dieing. The way you see the world not only can effect your health, but it also has a huge impact on your quality of life and has a direct result of how you turn out in life.

So amazing that I would be pondering this subject today, and on the same day I create this thread I was able to watch an amazing production on HBO this evening.

It was called Sunset Limited, and it was an adaptation of a book written by Cormac McCarthy. Truly a brilliant cinematic creation, and the subject matter of the film addresses the life and death struggle between those with hope in the world versus those who are without faith of any sort.

I would very much recommend it as required viewing for anyone curious about this subject matter, or just simply looking for an excellent viewing experience.