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Character Counts: Best day ever

Whenever I see my friend, Coach Bob, I ask him how he’s doing. Every day he responds, “I’m having my best day ever.” His response always makes me pause and regroup. In reality it may not be his best day ever, but he’s making a choice.

Every day we have to decide whether to be a critic or a creator, negative or positive, see the worst or look for the best. We either count what’s broken or celebrate what’s fixed. Every day presents us with plenty that’s good and a host of things that are challenging. So we decide.

We’ve all been around people who only talk about the “good old days.” Nothing now compares to then. It comes in a variety of forms, “They don’t make them like they used to.” “Nobody did it that way when I was a kid.” “Nothing like that ever happens where I used to live.” The past, like the present, contains both good and bad. Some only see the best from the past and the worst from the present.

Criticizing and complaining about life takes little talent. Finding the good, approving the positive requires some discipline. Making the effort pays off in several ways.

Seeing the good in a world creates an alternative culture. Do we have problems in the Mid-Ohio Valley? Yes. We can accentuate the problems, spread the word of how bad it is here, and watch the damaging negative effects of our negative assessment. In reality, we live in community that ranks high in many of the qualities that make for satisfied, happy living, including affordable housing and good schools. Thinking about the good in our valley helps us create that world. The more good we see, the more likely we are to live in that kind of community.

Looking for the best affects other people. Optimism is contagious. People who feel positive about their environment tend to be more cooperative, more compassionate, more dependable, more enthusiastic, more generous, more orderly, more patient, more resilient, more tolerant and more punctual. As those traits spread around town, our world becomes a better place because we’ve shared the best with others.

Being creators and not critics provides a better place for children. Young people who are constantly criticized often become the very people the critics condemn. Accentuating our assets rather than shouting about our liabilities gives the next generation hope. Hope builds character. Character makes a better community.

Looking for the best does not mean seeing what’s not there or calling it a sunny day when the fog moves in and visibility is zero. It means we have a choice to believe in the common good, to hope for the best, and to spread the word about our assets.

My friend, Coach Bob, reminds us to focus on the way we think. By changing our thinking, we create a new day. Think about it. Today could be your best day ever.

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