Elmer's Glue

[ShazzieB]

23. Thanks for the encouragement.

I, too, believe we can win this struggle, and I have little patience with the negativity that is often expressed at DU. I understand why people get discouraged, but giving in to that discouragement is a CHOICE, and it's one of the most destructive ones we could make, because it can sap our energy and make us feel like there's no point in even trying. It can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and is that is the last thing we need right now!

To those who feel there's nothing left to hope for, remember this: It's not over until it's over. I know that's a cliché, but things become clichés because they contain an element of truth. This struggle we're engaged in is NOWHERE NEAR OVER. Not only has the fat lady not sung; she's still in her dressing room, in her bathrobe, doing her makeup.

It drives me nuts when people want to give up on something important prematurely. My parents did a lot of things wrong, but one thing my dad harped on that he got right was to never assume ahead of time that something is going to be terrible. If you expect bad things to happen, they almost certainly will. Keep an open mind, give things a chance, wait and see, and you might just be pleasantly surprised.

Assuming that all is lost is about the most counterproductive thing we can do. That state of mind almost guarantees failure, because it provides no motivation to fight. If we believe we've already lost, why even try? If we are thoroughly convinced that there's no hope, why put in any effort at all? It's a lot easier to just lie here, moaning about how terrible it's going to be, while we wait for the end to come.

That mindset drives me absolutely nuts. Thanks for pointing out how much there is that we can do that can make a REAL difference. We need more posts like this around here, and a lot fewer Chicken Littles running around screaming about how the sky is falling.