Brenda’s Blog – March 8, 2022
POSITIVE was the lead line on the email. This bold printed word meant Covid had captured me. I read and reread the email, wanting to deny, ignore, or bury the information.
How could a word so closely attached to successful living be transformed into such a threat?
Thankfully, my doctor prescribed meds and after nearly 2.5 weeks of isolation, I was back to normal activity. But not without thinking about the impact of that word.
Norman Vincent Peale changed generations of men and women with a simple book entitled “The Power of Positive Thinking.” The word became synonymous with warm smiles, right thinking, and strong abilities to remember people’s names (and use them frequently!)
“Congratulations! The results are positive – you are going to have a baby next summer.” Dr. Cianciolo’s phone call initiated our journey to parenthood and the birth of Heather. I still celebrate the day of that phone call.
Today the stock market took a major hit. All day long we heard about negative activity. At one point there was a small rebound and the analysts cheered for the numbers “in the positive range.”
We are trained to look for the “yes” in every situation, aren’t we? We are schooled to have cheerful attitudes, dress for success, and strive for significance… all parts of a positive life.
But to expect a graph line which goes straight up is naïve. There will always be dips and dives… there will always be negative zones. And sometimes they are the times we learn and grow. Maturity comes through the navigation of rough waters, learning from the tumult.
Having gone through the covid experience I appreciate the irony of the positive result. Compassion for bed bound is stronger; empathy for bad medical reports is deeper; and gratitude for face to face interaction is certainly greater.
The power of positive thinking means understanding the value of weaving negative thinking and experiences into the tapestry.