Moody Monday: Always Look For The good

In the dark and moody days of my early twenties, I read a lot of popular psychology, self-help, and personal development books.  

One of the messages I remember from them was "be a good finder."  The concept was look for one positive thing in every person, even if it is only that they are a model of what you don't want to be. Look for the good in every situation. At my great-grandmothers funeral I got to know a great uncle who was an enigma before and after.  One good thing, on an otherwise miserable day. His company car was a stretched Cadillac Limo. He lived in Connecticut and worked in Manhattan and the company provided a car and driver. He had driven it to Detroit for the funeral, one of his son's drove, my grandmother, uncle John and I sat in the back for a 90 minute drive from the funeral home to the cemetery. I learned more about his life in those 90 minutes, than before or after. 

I have a theory that happiness is a choice, it is an inside job. I can chose to find the good, and be happy, or I can chose to focus on the miseries of life, and be miserable.  Being happy is easier, most of the time.  

I have read a lot over the years about the power of purpose.  Why am I here, and how can I make at least a little corner of the world a better place while I am here?  When I stumbled into the career I am about to retire from, I found a purpose. Work that made a difference for me, made a difference for others, that hopefully leaves the world just a little better than it was before. It has developed into helping others, be better able to help others. 

My purpose in retirement?  To create beauty, write things that make a difference, encourage others to find the good and celebrate the adventure of life.