A Positive Aussie says 'Doom the Gloom'!

Written on the 20th of March 2009 by Angela Gifford

I don't know about you, but I find watching the news on Television these days rather depressing.  If there is not footage of another collapse, firms closing, people losing their jobs, there is news of road deaths, murders and other 'engaging' items.  Apparently good news does not sell.  Well, for this viewer, good news does sell!  I've had enough of the negative stuff!

What would happen if for every gloom and doom snippet, one was found that painted a more positive picture of some aspect of life?  Why do we have to wallow around in the depths of despair when there are other options?

Sure, miserable stuff is all around us, but even if all is taken away from us, our ability and our choice to respond to our circumstances and what life dishes up to us, is still ours. It might not be easy, but it is true.  We choose our feelings, attitudes and behaviours.  The way we exercise our choice is up to us.  Some of us have lost a lot of share capital, others have been stung by the property market, many others have found themselves out of a job. Does that make life suddenly hopeless? No!

For many years On-Purpose Partners has helped people to find their Purpose in life, through workshops and individual coaching. We talk about our Purpose being like a beacon or a light house, or a compass showing 'true north'.  In situations like the ones above,  if you believe you are on this earth for a reason, there is still hope.  We might not be able to control circumstances in which we find ourselves as much as we would like, or at all.  However, we can reconnect with our values and we can choose to spend our time constructively to develop our strengths even in the face of ordeals.  Just as night turns to day, and winter turns to spring, bad times pass.

It is good to know one's Purpose!  For me it has provided a sense of peace and comfort when times are turbulent and unpredictable, because Purpose harnesses the energy of our spirit.  When we know our Purpose, we are not cast around like pieces of flotsam and jetsam in a stormy, hostile sea. Our Purpose underpins who we are 'in essence' and from there, we can work on what we are seeing and doing and ensure that it aligns with what we value.  Life is not hopeless and we are not pawns in the game of life if we are on-purpose.  We can make a difference.

Recently I received an email from a colleague whose business partner had leukemia and was back in hospital out of remission. There was a letter from his teenage daughter attached, encouraging support for the Leukemia Foundation's fund raising effort of shaving or colouring hair.  I was touched by the young girl's plea for assistance and her love for her father.  She could have been weighed down by the helplessly depressing circumstances of seeing her father so ill, and facing death. But no! She could see a larger vision- that of helping raise funds.  In doing so, she did not let her circumstances control her.  She proactively chose to make a difference, and some weeks before the campaign's climax, she was already 75% of the way to her target of $10,000.  I am sure she has exceeded it.  She is an inspiration!

There are small things we can do to make a difference.  In these times, let's actively look for some small act or deed each day.  It will not take long if everyone does this, to turn negativity into positivity and realise the flow on effects - their blessings and benefits.  At the end of each day, articulate Three Good Things that have happened and be thankful that you have 'doomed' the 'gloom' around you.

Angela Gifford is a Life Coach and a Director of On-Purpose Partners.

www.on-purposepartners.com