Monday, January 24, 2011

"Sanity may be madness, but the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be."

—Don Quixote

I came across the abovementioned quote today and felt it epitomized what I’ve been touching on for the past few weeks. Since the New Year, I’ve written about viewing the world through a positive prism, seeing things from the perspectives of others by immersing and surrounding one’s self in a wide variety of circumstances and people, setting goals and then demonstrating the tenacity to effectuate them—no excuses—just follow through.

To me, this mindset and manner of living is as second nature as taking a breath of air. But when I began posting blogs about such and then reading comments from individuals who said it was easier said than done, I began to wonder if I think outside the box. Well, I know I do with most things, but believed others at least strived to be on this plane with me.

Reading those responses, I found myself analyzing how I perceive the world and those with whom I come in contact. Then, as I experienced different things in my own life, I’d tiptoe back to the subject of being positive and putting things into motion while writing my blogs. Though most readers were in agreement with my thoughts, it was the few that got me to dig a little deeper.

Enter this quote by Don Quixote. The moment I read it, I felt it clearly expressed how I view things. I’m keenly aware that the world is not perfect. That there are those who walk amongst us owning such sour attitudes as to make lemons seem sweet. And yes, I do know that setting a goal and then actualizing it takes concentrated effort. But being who I am, a positive thinker who thrives off of goals, I set one, and while endeavoring to achieve it, my mind is already conjuring up the next.

This is how I work. Instead of focusing on what I can’t change in the world and the less-than-desirable things, I aspire to view the world’s potential…my potential…the potential of others. By doing so, I don’t tend to get overly bogged down by life’s tougher challenges, because I know…I have more to focus on—the positive in life and actualizing my goals.