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    Be Optimistic

                                                                                                                                                 Junious Ricardo Stanton

            There is so much negativity in the world these days. The news is depressing, so much violence, despair, craziness, and pessimism, it can weigh on you, bring you down and make you depressed. The good news and the truth are, we always have a choice, we always have options even in the bleakest of times and direst of circumstances; we can choose to be positive, optimistic, enthusiastic hopeful and progressive.  The alternative is succumbing to the morass, becoming lethargic, hopeless, helpless and somnambulant. I recommend we choose the former and reject the latter, it’s healthier for us!

            Back in the 1990’s the Sounds of Blackness recorded a popular song entitled Be Optimistic, the lyrics in the first verse and chorus went like this:

When in the midst of sorrow
You can't see up when looking down
A brighter day tomorrow will bring
You hear the voice of reason
Telling you this can never be done
No matter how hard reality seems
Just hold on to your dreams, yeah

Don't give up and don't give in
Although it seems you never win
You will always pass the test

As long as you keep your head to the sky

You can win asl long as you keep your head to the sky

You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky

Be optimistic.

             In the 2000’s I hosted an Internet radio program on two Internet radio stations called Message in the Music, I played artists who had a distinct positive social message, promoted higher consciousness, love, peace and activism artists like: Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Gil Scott Heron, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Public Enemy, Paris; artists who challenged the status quo and offered a brighter vision of life and the future.

Over the course of the several years I did the show I played a lot of Philadelphia International artists and songs. Gamble and Huff had a way of making positive songs and lyrics. I say this to say if our media diet included more positive and socially conscious songs, lyrics and images I know our lives would be fuller, more upbeat, positive, enthusiastic and healthy.

            There are so many streams and forms of media available to us these days. I suggest we be more discerning, discriminating and selective about the types of media we consume and expose ourselves and our families to! Media is everywhere, it’s ubiquitous and omnipresent. It’s on our gizmos and gadgets and all too often we are not even aware how this negative media content is impacting us, our thoughts, outlooks, perspectives, worldviews and behavior.

The powers who shouldn’t be know this and they use this to enhance their bottom lines and to further a nefarious agenda designed to create our reality, influence our behaviors, buying and behavior. It’s subliminal mind control.

 We are not automatons, or Zombies despite the powers who shouldn’t be best efforts and attempts to disempower us. We are immensely powerful beings. We have agency we can choose to take back our minds and our lives. We don’t have to go out like that. We can control what we think about, we can choose to be hopeful, optimistic, powerful self-actualized, self-assured beings. Let’s give confidence and positivity a try. Be optimistic.

                                           -30-