Interesting Observations

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Think Different and Overcome Negativity

When I posted Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture video back in September, I watched it again and again and was amazed at how much courage this man has, how fearless he is and how happy he was, despite the fact he knew his world was coming to end, Literally!!  Now look at another clip “The lecture revisited”:


Here is another clip that is very inspiring and makes you think a little differently about your life!



These are people who found ways to stand out from the crowd.

These are people who did not allow their lives to fall in chaos. When I watch their winning attitudes, my own problems and heartaches seem trivial.  And my thinking goes something like this:

  • I am not going to obsess about what I do not have, rather I am going to concentrate on what I do have;
  • I will do everything to develop resilience and not let anything break me;
  • What can I do to achieve my dreams?
  • What can I do to be the best?

People turn their lives around all the time, especially in the face of adversity.  We all have the power to turn negatives into positives and find contentment.  All of us face failures, setbacks and all sorts of problems in life and many times, these things show up without any warning.

Often if we try and stay focused and not let bad times take over our emotions, not lose perspective by constantly being afraid of the unknown, we can handle just about any level of distress without going insane.   Because, we don’t always get to choose what we might have to face and what will come into our lives,  but we can choose how we react to the circumstances.

Staying positive will make it easier to go through rough times, than whining about them and getting more depressed!

How do you handle adversities, failures and negative circumstances?

This post is inspired by the Think Different Challenge hosted at I will change your life! I wasn’t tagged for it, but I loved the idea. If you would like to join and write about what makes you think different, just follow the rules:

think_different.jpg
The Rules
1. Write a new blog post in which you “think different”. Interpret the challenge the way you want and include a link and/ or trackback to this post so that readers know the rules of the challenge. Feel free to use the above banner (inspired, of course, by Seth Godin).
2. Include a link and/or trackback to the blogger who tagged you.
3. At the end of your post, go ahead and tag some fellow bloggers. Don’t forget to email them to let them know they have been tagged.

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8 comments
teeni

I just love Randy Pausch! It is so selfless of him to have done what he has done and to have proven his mom wrong – he is a doctor but he IS the kind that has helped and touched millions of people with his positive lectures even in the face of death. The one-legged dancer is also a good example. It is awe-inspiring that people can face such adversity yet be determined to live as full as life as they can, not letting these obstacles slow them down. The rest of us can certainly take a lesson from that. Thanks for sharing these wonderful videos.

pearl

Hey teeni… these people are a good example of true strength that we all can develop, only if we want to! A lot of the times, its the choices we make that determine weather we are happy or not! thanks for stopping by….

Peter

Pearl,

This is a great article! You have really captured the spirit of the Think Different Challenge.

Randy Pausch has certainly inspired a great number of people. I have seen The Last Lecture video previously, but the message within it is timeless so I definitely enjoyed watching it again. The second video is also great – although I don’t know how I feel about a man with one leg being able to dance better than me :)

ps I have added your article to my list

pearl

Hi Peter: I was in awe of this guy’s dance rhythm for some time :) he is good, isnt he? :)

thanks for including this post in the challenge and stopping by here too…

teeni

Pearl – I would have stumbled you many times in the past but I am just getting the hang of it. You keep writing good stuff and you can expect more. ;)

Mig

Oh Pearl! You are such an inspiration, girl! And what you found to illustrate positive thinking… you know… It is amazing! For many reasons and I cannot find the right words now to express what I feel. So let me say just this: thank you for being my friend!

jen_chan, writer MemberSpeed.com

Maintaining a positive attitude is something everybody is familiar with these days. Still, I have to admit that it’s not the first reaction I would have. When it comes to work, it’s fairly easy for me to maintain a positive outlook because I am very idealistic. However, when the problem has something to do with my personal life, positivity is difficult to tap into.

pearl

@teeni: thanks :)

@Mig: heyy you are welcome and I am honored to know you as well :)

@jen_chan: its easy to give advice but hardest to follow our own I know.. but I always try to look at the situation from a tenet that things could be worse!

I obviously have a lot to improve, a lot to learn and hope the journey becomes a bit easier one day! I had someone forward me a picture that got me depressed for several days! here is the link if you want to see it:


picture worth a thousand words

and tell me if we even have the right to complain! So, positivity is not just A Thought, I hope it becomes a way of life for all of us! By being positive and not complaining and whining, we could actually help someone who is in real difficult circumstances!