As Good As It Gets

[John Peterson]

Hey Friends,

We are living in a world of explosive and unprecedented change. No denying it. But the greater and faster the change the more important it is for each of us to remain centered and balanced in our outlook. And one of the best ways to remain centered is to surround our selves with positive friends that reinforce a positive outlook toward life. We need to surround ourselves with people that always see that the cup as half full and never half empty.

This was recently reinforced to me when I was watching a scene in the Jack Nicholson movie "As Good as it Gets" where Nicholson plays a guy that has all kinds of phobias and is a member of a therapy group where everyone in the group just sits around griping and complaining and reinforcing to each other how unfair life is and how bad everything is. Finally, he get's to point where he has had enough, realizes that his life will only be as good as he is willing to make it, and in leaving the group says to them, "Has it ever occurred to any of you that this (the life they are now experiencing and have made for themselves) just might be as good as it gets?" Bottom line my friends, our lives will only be as good as we are willing to make them. And the good news is that we have the power to make our lives, As Good As It Gets!

Happy New Year to all of You.

---John Peterson

[gruntbrain]

I just got the DVD as a XMAS gift; perhaps it was a message gift

[Kevin Nickerson]

Many people choose to be slaves bound up in chains of their own making and they blame people,circumstances and other things for their woes(this happened that happened,can you believe what just happened)now I not saying life is always fair but we can choose how we will act in every situation which I believe is the key to unlock the chains that bind us that weigh us down so we can be free.I can't change another person's mind because that would take away from his or her right to chose,but I can chose who to be around and not be around,what to to let in to my mind.They say misery loves company,but I would rather leave that company alone.Many people complain about the thorns on a rose without ever seeing the beauty of it..This coming year I'm choosing to be more thankful and choose to look at the positiveabilities instead of the negativeabilities(yeah I no their not real words)but I 'm choosing to have fun corny as it is.Happy New year John may you have a very prosperous and healthy 2009 as well as every on else-Kevin

[Max McKinley]

Great post John! One of my biggest pet peeves is people who do nothing but complain about everything. Unfortunately I know many who no matter what, have it worse than you do. Because of this I have tried very hard to surround myself with positive people and be more positive myself. It is amazing how easily influenced your mood is. If you surround yourself with good positive people you will be more positive. When you are around negative people it tends to make you more negative.

Mike

Nicely put.

[GB]

Here are some quotes that reinforce what’s being said here:

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” John Wooden (From PYTP)

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. James Allen

We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it.
John F. Kennedy

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. JFK

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
John F. Kennedy

“It’s not what you can do that will make a difference in your life it’s what you will do.” Tony Roberts

[Hank_Z]

Here are some quotes that reinforce what’s being said here:

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” John Wooden (From PYTP)

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. James Allen

We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it.
John F. Kennedy

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. JFK

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
John F. Kennedy

“It’s not what you can do that will make a difference in your life it’s what you will do.” Tony Roberts

Terrific quotes. I've printed them to keep next to my computer. Thanks! :)

[gruntbrain]

Inspired by the movie: My faults are not my fault

[tom]

No time for negativity - I have a hard enough time fighting it in myself. So no time for negative people.

Got another twist/idea to doing more push-ups?

Thanks for the forum and the ideas, John.

Tom

[Kevin Nickerson]

'The positive thinker sees the invisible,feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible"

"The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the the opportunity in every difficulty"-Winston Churchill

[Andy62]

"A man who is self-reliant,positive,optimistic, and undertakes his work with the assurance of success magnetizes his condition. He draws to himself the creative powers of the universe."

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

[gruntbrain]

Negativity can be a useful tool in the battle of the sexes - you're in a mess when she wants a yes

[ben alexander]

I grew up with the saying "When life hands you a lemon, start making lemonade!" Its an old cliche, I know, but it does hold true. Yes, sometimes you can't do this, but if you take the basic mindset that sh*t happens, and you deal with it, you'll do well.

A while ago, I posted about my promiscious ladies man of a best friend (I think it was in the discussion on gay marriage). Despite his less than wholesome lifestyle (according to some), he's a very stable sort of guy.

One thing he said to me was "The instant you take responsibility for yourself, the better your life gets. It also means that you're responsible for how you react to what life throws at you." He's the sort of guy who's rarely down or depressed, because he knows how to deal with it.

Another thing he told me was that spreading a little happiness around is a good thing. A lot of people try and do this because they want folk to like them, but they're doing it with an agenda. When he does, he's doing it because he likes to talk and be sociable. His theory - the more people you know, the more you'll learn. Only a few days ago we were shopping at a local mall, and he was there smiling at people, making conversation with everyone who smiled at him, and "spreading the happiness". Needless to say, this attracted a lot of people to him. I had to walk away embarassed as he got yet another number from a young lady...some things will never change. :rotfl:

Despite his faults, he's right. Norman Vincent Peale said it well (thanks for the quote, Andy62!).

Ben