How does one stay positive these days?

A rhetorical question, really. But one worth thinking about, I believe. My gut tells me that the way forward -- not just for us as individuals, or communities, or societies, or countries, but for the world as a whole -- involves learning to put more effort into focusing on positive things. This does NOT mean putting our heads in the sand, pretending everything's just fine & dandy, scrabbling to get ours while ignoring the suffering of others, etc. We still need to do the hard work, of course, and that includes facing the challenges we must face -- together, without leaving anyone or anything behind -- and doing what needs to be done; it requires working the problems, honestly and with integrity. But we also need to blend all that with some forward thinking, some hope, some exhibiting of honour and kindness toward complete strangers -- even if they are not of our own "group" or "type", or even species, for that matter -- and thereby, bit by bit, improve our collective humanity. Too many people are giving up on having any hope for the future, and it's turning them into selfish, self-centred a-holes -- "Screw everyone else; I'm gonna get what's mine, and everyone else can go to hell." That sort of thing. We've all been guilty of it to some degree. We need to grow bigger hearts if we are to survive as a planet.

So how do we do it? How do we stay positive, and progress forward? Through a little bit of conscious effort, every day. Take time to smell the flowers -- to appreciate beauty -- to compliment someone, to do a stranger a kindness without hoping for something in return.

One step at a time.

Going forward, even slowly, is better than going backward or being stuck in the mud.