Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!
- Anne Frank
"Unfortunately, it's the bad news -- newspaper headlines and world events -- that generally clamor the loudest to get noticed," said Steve Goodier in an inspirational message, Finding the Good News. It's the late breaking news that scrolls across the TV screen, the headline on the front page of the newspaper about the economy that shouts at you every morning, or the magazine cover staring at you in the supermarket line. There is no limit it seems, to where it comes from or how it reaches you. It can be depressing, if you digest too much of it. It's no wonder that our collective confidence level is taking a beating.
Goodier is an ordained United Methodist minister and the author of numerous books about personal development, motivation, inspiration, and making needed life changes. He knows something about good news. His message about "finding the good news" was a timely one. At a time when so much is happening in the world, jobs are disappearing, businesses are going bankrupt, and there is a general lack of confidence because of all the uncertainty, here was a reminder: Look for the good news, it is out there!
Goodier shared a story he read once about a Ukraine businessman who bought a pager for each member of his staff of 50 as a New Year's gift. Now, that is good news, right? According to the story, the businessman had an accident returning from the pager shop.
You might be surprised to learn it was good news that caused it. All of a sudden, all 50 beepers on the back seat of his car went off simultaneously. Alarmed, he drove his car into a lamp post not far from his office. After he assessed the damage to the car, he turned his attention to the message on the 50 pagers. It read: "Congratulations on a successful purchase!"
And, consider this. Goodier came across an article that reported a study of a large group of people who were instructed to evaluate all the information they received for a year and a half. They were asked to record whether what they were seeing and hearing each day was positive or negative. If you looked back over the past 18 months, what would the information you received reveal? More good than bad news? The researchers determined that 90 percent of the input the group received was negative -- bad news. Surprised? Probably not. We are bombarded daily with news that sells, grabs our attention and scares us to death.
Goodier shares another story told by Franklin D. Roosevelt about an old man who was losing his hearing. The man went to the doctor for help and was advised to quit drinking alcohol. When his family asked him what he was going to do, he replied, "Well, I've given it a lot of thought and I've decided I like what I've been drinkin' so much better than what I've been hearin', I'm just gonna keep on gettin' deaf."
We can always use a little more laughter, too.
Goodier comes to this conclusion: There is plenty of good news. I agree. It gets drowned out by the headlines, and what we choose to focus on each day. Here's what you can do. Consider turning down the bad news volume a bit and let the good news come through. Sometimes it comes in the form of encouraging words from friends. A sincere, genuine compliment can make a day for a person. "Any day we can witness numerous acts of generosity and kindness," says Goodier. It is happening all around us. Just take a moment to observe it and take it in.
"And, we can still spot signs all around us of love and hope. Sometimes we may have to look a little more closely, but the good news is there," he says. It's worth the effort to find it.
Nigel Alston is a Dale Carnegie trainer and motivational speaker who lives in Winston-Salem. He can be reached at nalston1@triad.rr.com.
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