I am fundamentally an optimist...Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.
~ Nelson Mandela* [1918-1913]
To: God, Heaven
Attn: Attitude Adjustment Department
Re: Grant Request
Dear Ma'am, Sir, Spirit, or Entity:
I believe that I am unlikely to ever be optimistic on a full-time basis, and as that is likely to be considered a pessimistic viewpoint, I am applying to Your department for a grant to help me to adjust my attitude accordingly.
Over the course of my life I have had times of extreme pessimism brought on by life circumstances, general malaise with a touch of decrepitude, occasional bouts of junk food, and prolonged periods of monkey mind. There are breaks in these cycles in which I discover sunshine, half-full glasses, delight in a child's laughter, and the hopefulness of contemplating eternal life with Jesus. It is to further such moments of the lightness of being a Child of God, that I ask for you to bestow a grant of significant improvement in my levels of optimism.
As the recipient of such a grant, I would be able to develop a greater sense of life as a gift in all of its moods and activities, be more likely to give thanksgiving to God regularly, to experience hope and joy with greater frequency, and to send up my prayers almost daily with new and less-fettered energy and enthusiasm. As to the terms, I respectfully request regular, on-going renewal with no expiration and a lifetime supply of gratitude. For my part, I will endeavor to keep my head pointed toward the sun and my feet moving forward. amen, er, um, I mean, Sincerely....
Attn: Attitude Adjustment Department
Re: Grant Request
Dear Ma'am, Sir, Spirit, or Entity:
I believe that I am unlikely to ever be optimistic on a full-time basis, and as that is likely to be considered a pessimistic viewpoint, I am applying to Your department for a grant to help me to adjust my attitude accordingly.
Over the course of my life I have had times of extreme pessimism brought on by life circumstances, general malaise with a touch of decrepitude, occasional bouts of junk food, and prolonged periods of monkey mind. There are breaks in these cycles in which I discover sunshine, half-full glasses, delight in a child's laughter, and the hopefulness of contemplating eternal life with Jesus. It is to further such moments of the lightness of being a Child of God, that I ask for you to bestow a grant of significant improvement in my levels of optimism.
As the recipient of such a grant, I would be able to develop a greater sense of life as a gift in all of its moods and activities, be more likely to give thanksgiving to God regularly, to experience hope and joy with greater frequency, and to send up my prayers almost daily with new and less-fettered energy and enthusiasm. As to the terms, I respectfully request regular, on-going renewal with no expiration and a lifetime supply of gratitude. For my part, I will endeavor to keep my head pointed toward the sun and my feet moving forward. amen, er, um, I mean, Sincerely....
Even if the pessimist is correct in the long run, the optimist will have a better trip.
*Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist, served 27 years of imprisonment for treason fighting for equality, justice, and the end of apartheid segregation in his country. After his release, he was elected President and served faithfully for 4 years. An exemplar of inspiration, creator of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights abuses, established the Mandela Foundation to fight HIV/AIDS, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, the American Presidential Medal of Freedom and many more honors, President Mandela has been called the "Father of his country", and widely admired for his concern for truth and racial reconciliation and harmony.
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