Want to Feel Better? Focus on the Good Things in Life

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Everywhere I go, these days, people seem stressed out beyond measure. The level of angst has reached a new high, and to a certain extent I can certainly understand the reasons why. Everyday, we are bombarded with stories of personal loss and financial mayhem. Just open the newspaper and you'll see article upon article about victims of foreclosure and people who've lost their jobs in Northeast Ohio and across the nation. Not to mention the impending demise of the Big Three automakers.

Of course, I can't blame the media entirely. It's their job to report what's happening in the world. And the fact is we aren't victims of the media. We all have a choice about whether to read or watch the news.

And while I certainly wouldn't suggest that we shut out the news entirely, there's nothing wrong with setting limits for ourselves. In fact, it may even lessen our stress and, in the process, help us be more productive. Because the fact is that when we're focusing on all the negative economic news, we may start adopting a "why should I bother" attitude. In other words, why should I bother marketing my services when no one's buying anyhow? And why should I bother trying to close that sale because they probably can't afford my services?

I, personally, have decided to set some boundaries around my exposure to the news. While I still read the newspaper and listen to public radio, I don't pore over the business section during breakfast like I used to, wringing my hands. I gather the essential information, and move on. Some of my friends think I'm out of touch because I haven't absorbed every last detail of the economic crisis. But that's okay. In my mind, we can either choose to focus on everything that's "wrong" in the world or train our eyes on the people and organizations that are making the world a better place. And I choose to focus on the latter.  Why? Because when I do I feel hopeful and inspired rather than deflated and powerless.

The truth is we have so much to be grateful for, and there are so many people doing great deeds. Here is my short list of people and places, both local and national, that have inspired me lately by spreading their good Karma:

• Diane Helbig, a wonderful coach and COSEMindspring.com expert who inspires clients to form Karma-based strategic alliances. At the COSE Small Business Conference this year, she inspired me to do just that through one of her sessions, which are like Love Fests (and I mean that in the best possible way) in that that encourage business owners to bond with one another and brainstorm creative business solutions: http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
  
• Pacific East Restaurant http://www.pacificeastcoventry.com/, which serves up sushi that makes my heart sing. It's a great restaurant, but it's on my short list of favorites because it's so much more than that. It's a friendly neighborhood hangout where the waiters, waitresses and owners take time to get to know you. The other evening when we were savoring a couple rainbow rolls and dragon rolls, our waitress made my jaw drop when she swung by our table with a holiday gift: a bottle of wine. What a lovely gesture, I thought!
• Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP, a full-service corporate law firm that is committed to helping its attorneys create a healthy work/life balance so they can succeed both personally and professionally: http://www.calfee.com/
• A man in our community  (I really need to learn his name!) who invested in a home in our Cleveland Heights neighborhood that was in need of a lot of love. He purchased the home, and instead of just "flipping" it, sunk a great deal of money into it, transforming the house into a beautiful place for someone to live, even in the face of our challenging economy and a high rate of foreclosures in our community.
• Gail Lynne Goodwin, the founder of Inspire Me Today, who inspires me every morning with the stories of faith and hope she sends to my e-box, free of charge: http://www.inspiremetoday.com/ She also offers a paid membership that promises to inspire you even more.
• Peter Shankman, a social media wizard who, among other great deeds, launched Help A Reporter Out, a fabulous, free service that connects writers with experts everywhere: http://www.helpareporter.com/. And according to Peter, everyone's an expert on some subject!

These are just a few of the people and places that are choosing to spread their good Karma, and for that I'm extremely grateful. Before this year draws to a close, I may need to give a shout out to a few more do-gooders.

In the meantime, let me ask you this: who's inspired YOU lately? And why do you  find them to be so inspiring? And how can you be the inspiration you'd like to see in the world? I'd love to hear what you think. Email me at ebrown@wellnessjourneys.com.

Ellen H. Brown

http://www.wellnessjourneys.com

Visit my blog at http://www.wellnessjourneys.com/blog

 Copyright 2008 Ellen H. Brown