I watched the Presidential debate the other night and it feels like our nation is out of control. There was so much mud slinging from both parties that it was difficult to watch. But I kept watching, hopeful for some new approach or there may be some shred of hope to be found.

 

It seemed all was lost until the final question of the night from Karl Becker. What a spark of hope!

 

He asked the candidates “Regardless of the current rhetoric, would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another?” YES!! There was no guarantee that either one of the candidates would answer the question, they had been dodging the answers all night. There was no guarantee that either candidate would be honest and truthful and forthcoming with a reply that stuck to the question. But, it didn’t really matter, what mattered was Karl Becker implored them to go high for a moment after so many lows.

My point isn’t to choose a candidate for you, that is your choice and your right. What was so thrilling to me as I am swimming in this world that seems to be so negative is that there was hope. There was a spark of goodness. There was a question that we can all respect. We need to intentionally find a way to look for the positive. Perhaps if we focus on the positive, the negative will not have such power over us.

 

Being positive helps me to focus on the good in this world. Being positive gives me hope for a better tomorrow. I am hopeful that our wonderful country will find it’s way back to being proud. Not pride in a negative way, but pride in who we are, who we represent and what we represent. We look for the good in our countrymen and women. We look for the good in the day and the moment and we share the good with others. If we spent time sharing the good and the positive think of the wonderful ripples of happiness it would create.

I choose to be happy. I choose to be hopeful and I am proud to be an American. Thank you Karl Becker for bringing the debate to a close with a hope for finding the good in our opponents. Thank you for reminding our presidential candidates to find the good and not just the bad. Thank you for reminding me that I have the power to create positivity in my life and my practice every day.