Refusing to Fail

by Faith St. Clair

There are many mountains to climb, upheavals to calm, hurdles to jump and stresses to tame these days and as hard as we try to put positive energy and thought into accomplishing those tasks, there are just as many voices and situations pulling us back down.

I read an article in the Meridian magazine by H. Wallace Goddard wherein he said that Pollyanna was right! Those living in reality are depressed and miserable and miserable people distort things negatively. However, those looking at the world through rose-colored glasses are healthier, happier and more positive – and why shouldn’t we be? After all, God gave us those glasses. Nothing should deter us from joy – we have a divine heritage, we can do all things through Christ and we know that if we endure well, we shall be exalted! (Great article – Meridian Magazine, Wednesday 12/10/08, “Pollyanna Was Right”)

So, just shy of foregoing all responsibility I possess, I will not watch the news, I will not look at my checkbook, I will not muse about losing my job, I will not turn my back on pursuits invested in, I will not give up hope. Instead, I will live in my own little happy world where the sun shines every day, recession notwithstanding, where my neighbors return my smiling hello, forgetting all rudeness, where I smother my children with kisses despite their “you’re mean” goodnights, where my husband and I talk every day, regardless of the fact that we don’t communicate very well, where I can wake up every day eager to engage in the pursuit of my dreams, even amidst discouraging comments.

I will write down my goals and my plan on how to get there and go about my happy journey. I will stay on my own little path, skipping along, whistling a happy tune, but never taking my eyes off of my destination. I will look at the flowers along the way, but ignore the wolves in the forest. I will bask in the beauty around me, and blow away the haze that tries to cover that view. I will focus on the joy of my journey and disregard attempts to confuse me.

In short, I refuse to fail just because someone says I should, or probably will, or have. There are no failures without successes, there are no trials without leaning opportunities, there are no fears with faith.