No You Can’t

Yes I Can - I Expect The Best

When it comes to the daily challenges, negative news, political and financial chaos, most of us—at different times—may suffer some form of fear or self-doubt of not being good enough for whatever task the future may bring.

A fear and self-doubt often fed by those more than willing to criticize, to discourage, to tear down. They camp out with the why-you-can’ters the negative thinkers, those always willing to tell us why we can’t, why it can’t be done, how bad things are. They may even cause us to suffer uneasiness when things are going well.

It is difficult to maintain a positive view in today’s negative atmosphere. And what are our children and grandchildren hearing? “Blame America Firsters” dominate our halls of higher education. Politically correct sycophants dominate the media, and our elected leaders ensnared by the spirit of confusion.

Yet, if we continually look at the present negatively and fret about the future we become trapped in a cycle of non-productive worry and self-doubt. Worse yet, join the why-you-can’ters.

True, denying, ignoring, or trying to suppress our negative feelings or the magnitude of today’s problems will not solve anything. We can, however, stop mentally embracing our doubts and fears. Most of our personal fears about today and our doubts about tomorrow are not based on fact, but on our feelings.

Although it takes self-discipline, we can control what we say, what we think, and what we do. It means recognizing and changing negative actions and negative attitudes—dwelling on the what if this, what if that.

We may not be able to control what happens to us but we can control our reaction. I know, it is not easy. I realize some circumstance may be intolerable, even dangerous. If we can, we need to leave such a situation. Often, changing our attitude—how we look at things and how we act—will change our situation or how we perceive the situation. The most important thing we can do, pray we be changed in the situation, changed to the person our Creator would have us be.

For good or bad, our choices today help determine where we will be tomorrow. The choice is ours to choose how we think, how we speak, how we act. We need to be mindful of what we read and what we allow our eyes to watch and ears to hear. And, although far easier to say than do, resist worrying about those things we can do nothing about, and focus on those things we can.

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” _____ Charles Dickens

A wealthy, powerful, righteous, and generous America was not built by the share-the-wealthers, why-you-can’ters, and other negative thinkers. Our Nation was built by the positive-thinkers, the yes-I-canners.

We are a blend of choices we made. Yesterday’s choices helped determine where we are today. But that was yesterday. No sense wasting our time and energy thinking about, “What should have been.” Instead focus on, “What can be.” Raise every morning expecting God’s best. And teach our children and grandchildren to do same.

Be Informed Be Involved ___ Michael E. Odell

Write your Senators and Representative in Washington, D.C. Tell them: No to government sanctioned envy, greed, and sexual immorality. No to political correctness. Yes to supporting self discipline and personal responsibility.

You may follow this format:

Senator Donna Arrogant
Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20510
Senator Arrogant,

Rep. Bill Spender
House Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20515
Congressman Spender,

COMMENTS: Your thoughts and comments are welcome.
E-mail: odellmike@comcast.net