(Updated December 2015.)
Yesterday I talked about how we on the Internet waves I catch, we apparently feel like ‘we should’ tell the most horrible things that happened today to everyone; but I think rather than ‘the worst of the worst,’ we could think of it like being around a fire: what’s a good, non-dominating, nourishing, “happifying” thing to say – here & now, at this time – or almost anytime?
Think of it like a talk around a fire.
The right way, or a good way, gives something to latch onto: you now know a way to do something. How not to goes beyond shaming to just giving you one more way not to – “Wanna visit Faribault? Alright: Just don’t go to Scott’s Mill. Scott’s Mill is owned by a guy who rids around on a ATV & might SHOOT YOU.”
What if that were our tourism?
“Basilleo’s has great cheese pizza if you get extra extra sauce, & crushed red peppers if you like those. Tubing down the Straight River in summer is fun, too. You can get giant tubes at the tire shop.”
There are some problems to reckon with — but life is good a lot more than bad; there’s a lot to appreciate, to go do . . . to tell others. Because the thing about inspiration — the third thing I had had planned besides romanticism & poetry, for this year — is that goodness is the most contagious . . . & for good reason: we love it; it’s good for us.
You want to let that bloom wherever you can – like flowers.I’ll leave off with a favorite something of mine; I have taught to use examples to teach, especially to teach inspiration, for years in public places; but that’s another topic. Here is an example of an inspiring story to me:
Something that even given the threat they face – & our apparent psychological bias to overly focus on the negative – could inspire us; say, to sustain enough work to protect them.
Life is good & we only want more good – success stories, inspiring stories, positive examples nurture us. Let’s have a good fire. =D
– Joe =)