On WordPress when you click ‘New Posts’ there’s a little link at the bottom asking if you need an inspiration. Normally my answer would be “YES! PLEASE, INSPIRE ME!!”; not because I find it hard to see the good in the world, but because the everyday hassles of life get in the way. And I make excuses.
Well, not tonight. I don’t need to click on any link to be inspired because I have found an inspiration. His name is Shane Burcaw. I cannot do this guy justice, so I recommend that you check out his Tumblr, www.laughingatmynightmare.tumblr.com. But there is also a video at the end of this post that I think you should watch as well.
I do have a few things to say about this though. We all struggle with crap: work, school, love life, family, annoying pets, weather… you name in. Every day has the potential of being good, but often problems get in the way of that and we don’t allow the day to reach its full potential. We sort of let that day die; morbid, I know. But we have the opportunity of making that day better. There are hundreds ways that you could, but there is one easy and inexpensive method that can make your day better: laughter.
I think Shane is truly remarkable for that. His personality and attitude radiate optimism. He could easily have a negative attitude due to living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but instead he takes a positive perspective on life. He is also surrounded by people who have the same attitude as him which I think also helps his attitude. They share laughter even when they laugh at themselves. I don’t think we do that enough, we are too embarrassed or ashamed by ourselves that we often just shrug it off and pretend silly things didn’t happen. But instead we should be taken the opportunity to laugh at any change we get, even if it’s at our own mistakes.
Positivity is something that I am personally lacking in my life. In the middle of writing papers, studying and trying to keep up with everything and everyone I seem to struggle with keeping a positive attitude. But today I was inspired by Shane, and I know that I can easily change my attitude by just laughing a bit more.
From this video I took something very important: it is crucial to our happiness that we surround ourselves with people who are optimistic, who have a positive perspective on life and who can rise above problems to get to the other side much stronger. Those people make our lives better. Surround yourselves with them, love them and absorb their happiness and of course, thank them for being so bright.
As many of you who know me personally, I am not an optimist; I like to think of myself as realist (but I was told that’s what pessimists say). But I know that positivity can hugely affect my life, so I’m going to give it a try.
I do recommend that you watch this video and I hope that you are inspired by it, too. I hope that you at least stop and think, that’s the most important part.
And laugh.
(All credit goes to SoulPancake at http://www.youtube.com/user/soulpancake)
Nadia's Paper Town 