Think positively

e've all heard the two sayings about the sky and the glass of water. When you see the sky, is it partly cloudy or is it partly sunny? When you look at a half cup of tea, do you think the cup is half full or is it half empty?

The way we see and think about things, especially whether or not we are thinking positive or negative thoughts, greatly influences our daily lives. In fact, our reaction to various circumstances and the way we think about them can make traveling fun or it can make seeing the world quite miserable.

Take my recent trip to southeastern Colorado. My husband and I love to explore, and we especially enjoy looking at and photographing dinosaur tracks. So when Terri, Mike's oldest daughter, told us she and her family were going to view some tracks, we decided to hook up with the three of them. So, one warm spring night we joined Terri, her husband Blaine, and our 7-year-old grandson, Mitch, in La Junta. The first night was fun, but uneventful. Nothing went wrong, we just had a great time together.

However, the second day was another story. We both had our own four-wheeldrive pickups, and because we had plans to go our separate ways after seeing the tracks, we decided to drive both vehicles. After turning off a paved road onto a maintained gravel road, Blaine realized that he had forgotten to bring his spare tire. Soon after, he had a blow-out. Fortunately, we were there to help, so that was a positive thing. The guys drove about 20 miles back into town to get a new tire and Terri, Mitch and I spent our time talking and looking at cows.

The tire fixed, we continued south and were almost at the trailhead when we saw a grass fire. Again we thought positively, noting that it was a good thing we had a cell phone, and a good thing that we had the guys to put the fire out. It's been a dry year here in Colorado and the last thing we wanted was to be out on a hike with the Comanche Grasslands burning all around.

Finally, we reached the trailhead and though it was much later than we had planned on starting, we headed south on the trail, which is really an old road and tried to make hiking fun for the little guy. We had more than 3 miles to go until we would see the tracks, so we talked about what we would see, we oohed and aahed over an old abandoned cabin, a cemetery, lizards and the like. We also talked about how having a blow-out might seem like a terrible situation to some, but instead we found it a positive experience. Why? Because the weather was good for such a blow-out, because we were there to help them get a new tire and because we had plenty of food and water while we waited for them to return.

After hours of encouraging Mitch to hike, we made it to the dinosaur tracks. Mitch's energy was renewed as we played in the creek, put our feet in the tracks of giant dinosaur and enjoyed the cloudy realms of a spring thunderstorm. It had been a hot walk to the tracks and the clouds were just what we needed for the long return.

We made it back to the trailhead just as it was getting dark. Before arriving we decided to follow the kids back to La Junta instead of going our separate ways. The last thing we wanted to do was leave them alone without a spare. It was a good decision because we hadn't gone too far when they had another blow-out. This time it was late and they couldn't get a new tire, so we all piled into our pickup, the husbands in the back, and headed into town.

Once again this could have seemed like bad luck, but Terri and I told Mitch it was really good luck because once again we were there to help. And if we couldn't have gone for help all would not have been lost. Instead of thinking we were doomed, we would have rejoiced in the fact that we had food, water, a tent and two sleeping bags. It would have been a cozy night in the tent, but at least we would have been dry and warm.

Well, the following day the guys got another tire and once they were back in town we decided to have some breakfast together. While we were eating, someone ran into the back of our pickup. We all had a good laugh (the bump was minor), but we decided to head out of town. Our luck and positive thoughts were still going strong, but we decided not to push it. We'd probably had enough excitement in our few days together.

On the way home, Mike and I discussed positive thinking and how folks react so differently to various situations. When I get a flat I can always think of something to be thankful for. If I get a flat when it's not raining, then I am happy it is dry. I can find the good in a flat if I am near a town, if I'm in cell phone range, if I'm not driving to the airport to catch a flight and, when I was traveling alone, I was always thankful if there was someone to help me. A flat tire does not have to be all bad.

The same is true if you are traveling and you find that the campground you'd planned on staying in is full. Some might think of it as a negative thing, but it can be positive if you find another more wonderful place to camp. Sometimes being forced to do something new is a good thing. It makes us grow, makes us realize that we can handle anything that may come our way.

Right now I have a friend who is going through a divorce. She loved traveling with her husband and she loved heading south in their fifth-wheel to spend the winter, and while some might think those days are over for her, my friend is not going to give up what she loves to do. No, instead of thinking negative thoughts, instead of turning her back on RVing because she is going to be single again, my friend started thinking positively and she already has a network of friends to help her. Why, she just said her prayers, got her friends and family to say a few more prayers for her, and she started contacting some different RV organizations. In a few weeks' time, she has found a woman to teach her how to back up her trailer, and some friends offered the use of their pickup for the summer so she can see if she wants to stick with the fifthwheel or maybe get into a motorhome instead.

Everything is working out for her because she believes in possibility thinking. Instead of dwelling on the negative aspects of a broken marriage, she is stepping out and going full steam ahead on her own.

So, the next time you're traveling down the road and you get a flat or you need some sort of vehicle repair, or one of the many other not-so-good things that can happen on the road happens to you, just find something positive in the event. Do that and you'll keep traveling and having fun, and you'll enjoy it all a whole lot more, too.

Copyright T L Enterprises, Inc. Dec 2000
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