the TAO of CHANGE

a boots-on-the-ground view of the change that's a-foot

Archive for the ‘Philosophy’ Category

Optimism, Hope, and Being Positive

Friday, March 12th, 2010

I saw this sticker on the mirror in a restroom at one of my favorite urban coffee houses:

Patience is certainly a virtue, but unfortunately, not one of mine. So, this was a great reminder. I don’t like the fact that change happens slowly, but it’s usually true. Sigh.

So, I’ve been thinking about this for a few days. But what does being positive really mean to me when I wake up each morning?

I think it involves more than simply being hopeful. Desmond Tutu just wrote a book encouraging us to be hopeful, in which he describes hope as, “…being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”  Yes. Yin and Yang. I get it. But, then what?

Optimism sounds nice too: “The tendency to expect the best possible outcome.” But some days, that’s not enough for me either.

I like the word positive because it’s more specific. It goes something like this: “Positive thinking is a process of choosing positive emotions from stimuli in the environment and applying them to perceptions and beliefs. The objective is to create an outlook that translates into a new or better chosen reality.”

Now that gives me something to work with! Change Happens Gradually. Stay Positive.

Life Box - Save the Planet One Cardboard Box at a Time

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Growing Pains

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Even bin Laden believes in global climate change

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

The Power of Half

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Hostel In The Forest

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Parades - Old and New

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

HAND-Y-JOB - the future of work

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009



THE TAO OF CHANGE [the way of a better world]

brought to you by The Change, a strategy and design agency with an agenda to change the world