Inspired to Reality

We live in an amazing world. Never have we as a society had such incredible prosperity and health, but still a great part of the population is locked in the thralls of depression. It is an undeniable fact that as you look back on history the human race in general has become more peaceful, wealthier and healthier. So why is it that people look at this beautiful world and see only the opposite?

The most important thing to see that it is all just perspective. One of the quickest examples is to ask yourself, would you want to go back and live just 5, 10 or 15 years ago in time? To make the effect more dramatic, how about 50 or 100 years ago? You would soon find that all the things we take for granted today would be awe inspiring.

Some quick fact can easily be seen:

• Average life expectancy has risen from 65 in 1945 to 77 years of age in 2003.
• Infant deaths have fallen from 30 in 1,000 births in 1950 to 7 in 1,000 births in 2003
• The average home size has nearly doubled to 2,200 sq ft. in the past 30 years.

So people have a greater chance at surviving birth and living longer than ever before and while they are living they have more of everything than the generation before them. So why all the gloom? To me there is something else that is causing this. First and foremost it is attitude. However, today like never before there are things that feed that attitude.

If you find yourself depressed, I want you to take an honest assessment of the things you choose to listen to in you life. Do you find yourself glued to the 24 hour news channels? Do you find yourself tied into soap operas or movies dramatizing horrible occurrences such as adultery, rape, robbery and murder? Do you listen to country western or urban music that have depressing themes of hopelessness and victimhood?

The terrible truth is, you are choosing to feel hopeless and then you are seeking outside devices to prove to yourself that you are. The good news is you can turn it off as quickly as you turned it on.

I love the analogy of the half empty or half full glass because it is so true. Nothing in the end has changed but the way you chose to look at the situation. You are not hopeless unless you have given up hope!

So take another look at your life and see it from the half full side. Is your life better than your parents? Will your children be better off then you? Just those two thoughts should fill you full of love and adornment. Turn the channel on the TV set or better yet read a book. Listen to some classical music. Feed your new positive attitude with positive outside influences. Remember it is you who chooses to be happy or sad.

So is the glass really half empty?

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