Reece Gardner: Keep it on The Sunny Side

Are you enthusiastic today?

Sometimes with a lot of rather negative news being circulated on a regular basis, it can become challenging to be enthusiastic, but all we really need to do is just look around us and, as The Carter Family sang many years ago, "Keep on The Sunny Side."

To illustrate that, I want to recall what happened a few years ago in a class in Roanoke Rapids when participants were asked to go out and live enthusiastically in a specific area of their lives.

Tom Rogers stood before the class that evening and gave this commitment: "I am tonight committing myself to go out and live ultra-enthusiastically in cleaning out my garage." This evoked some laughter from the group, but it was obvious that Tom was very sincere.

He said, "It has gotten to the point that I am hesitant to drive into my garage, day or night, without first getting out and checking to see if there are any obstacles in my way, which there usually are, so I am looking forward to enthusiastically cleaning that area out."

He continued, "And while I am at it, I am also going to clean out the adjoining storage area, which is in total disarray. Having been in the military, my family and I traveled extensively, and I have accumulated a lot of things and boxes upon boxes are stacked in that room, packed with items from long ago. I am going to find out what's in those boxes."

Three weeks went by and the evening came when each person was to tell about their living enthusiastically experiences. Tom's turn came and he stepped forward and shared this experience:

"During these past three weeks, I have cleaned out my garage and storage room, and I want you to know that it has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Oh, yes, I can now drive into my garage at any time and not have to worry about anything being in the way. I Now open the door to my storage room just to marvel at how neat and orderly it has become.

"These outcomes, in and of themselves, are enough to make me happy about having taken this action. But the most exciting thing about this experience came from what I found in those boxes. I found things that I thought had long since been lost. I even found things in those boxes - like letters, pictures, awards, gifts, and so many other things that I wouldn't take a million dollars for - and I didn't even know I had them!" Folks, we don't need to search for things in this life to be enthusiastic about.

They are all around us. I am enthusiastic about breathing, about being able to see, about having a LOVING FAMILY, about being able to walk, talk, laugh, and LIVE! These are priceless, and they are all gifts. All we need to do is recognize them and enjoy them.

Now for a humorous note:

With the Russian elections coming up, a reporter asks Russian President Vladimir Putin this question at a press conference.

"With Hillary Clinton almost becoming president and Kamala Harris becoming vice president in the United States, do you think a Russian woman could ever rise up to the highest office of our nation and become president?"

President Putin responds immediately with a resounding "NO!" without any hesitation, shocking all the reporters.

"Why do you think that Mr. Putin?" the reporter asks, surprised at the blunt dismissal.

Vladimir calmly looks at the reporter and says, "Because I'm not a woman."

Have a GREAT day!