“Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It’s unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don’t have to try.”
~Submitted by Good Morning Reader Peggy Noonan
Good morning!
I LOVE THIS QUOTE! All of my friends can attest that I have an incredibly low tolerance for those who are cynical, pessimistic, or buried beneath excuses. We all have challenges and obstacles, and we all have the power to overcome them.
I was having a conversation with a new friend a while ago. She is a very sweet young lady who is bouncy, fun, energetic and optimistic. I actually thought she must have had a “pretty typical” upbringing because at age 20 she was vibrant and ready to tackle the world. We began sharing about our past… My parents were divorced shortly after my birth; her parents had never been married. Neither of us had a real relationship with our fathers nor saw them often. We both grew up in what would be considered “poverty” level. She had lost her cousin, who was like a sister, to suicide. I had lost my brother through a fatal reaction to a bee sting. Our “non-typical” sharing continued.
I expressed my surprise at the life she had lived thus far in 20 short years (just as I remember so many expressing that same sentiment to me when I was 20). She shared how many friends felt “sorry” for her and how she couldn’t stand that. She is happy and confident with who she is and realized that each experience, although painful, made her into the young woman she is today. I have said that exact statement many times. We can’t filter life and just take the “good.” We are a sum of our experiences – but it is up to us whether that sum will be positive or negative.
Your Turn:
No matter where you have been, what you are facing or what lies in your future, you can overcome it if you want to do so. Empower yourself. If you need some help or motivation, take an online class. If you do not choose to empower yourself, that is okay – just don’t stand in the way of those of us who are on the way to our dreams!
Affirmation:
I overcome any challenge in my way.
I was having a conversation with a new friend a while ago. She is a very sweet young lady who is bouncy, fun, energetic and optimistic. I actually thought she must have had a “pretty typical” upbringing because at age 20 she was vibrant and ready to tackle the world. We began sharing about our past… My parents were divorced shortly after my birth; her parents had never been married. Neither of us had a real relationship with our fathers nor saw them often. We both grew up in what would be considered “poverty” level. She had lost her cousin, who was like a sister, to suicide. I had lost my brother through a fatal reaction to a bee sting. Our “non-typical” sharing continued.
I expressed my surprise at the life she had lived thus far in 20 short years (just as I remember so many expressing that same sentiment to me when I was 20). She shared how many friends felt “sorry” for her and how she couldn’t stand that. She is happy and confident with who she is and realized that each experience, although painful, made her into the young woman she is today. I have said that exact statement many times. We can’t filter life and just take the “good.” We are a sum of our experiences – but it is up to us whether that sum will be positive or negative.
Your Turn:
No matter where you have been, what you are facing or what lies in your future, you can overcome it if you want to do so. Empower yourself. If you need some help or motivation, take an online class. If you do not choose to empower yourself, that is okay – just don’t stand in the way of those of us who are on the way to our dreams!
Affirmation:
I overcome any challenge in my way.