By Harold Keller

The habits and attitudes of parents are usually passed down to their children.  I’m most grateful that my dad always had a positive attitude.  It wasn’t until I grew up that I realized his life was not a bed of roses.  

Even though he struggled supporting the family, I always thought we were rich, because he never complained and always looked at the bright side of life.  People often tell me that I have a good attitude.

When speaking to a group of employees a few weeks ago, my topic was “positive thinking.”  I shared that a person has a choice in life to be either positive or negative.  The benefits of a positive-thinking person is that they live longer, don’t get sick as often, and when they do get sick, they recover faster.  With that said, I challenged the group to make a choice to be positive and not to let negative thoughts creep into their lives.

Of course, that’s easier said than done.  Maintaining a positive attitude in a negative world is challenging.  The news that gets the most coverage is bad news.  

The majority of people you meet on a daily basis either want to talk about sick people or about who died.  I’m getting to the point where I’m afraid to ask someone how they are doing.  Very seldom does anyone say that they’re doing great.  Most take time to tell you all the negative things going on in their lives.  I have to admit that I’m getting a little defensive.

Over the last few months, a couple of my friends have asked me whose going to take over Get High on Life when I die.  My answer was, “Why?  Do I look bad?”  

This past Sunday, while Jeanne was still sleeping, I decided to fix myself some bacon, eggs, and grits.  As I sat down to eat, she came into the kitchen and said, “We received an e-mail from Ronny (our oldest daughter).  The message was about the things to do in case of a heart attack.  (Keep in mind, it’s about 9:00 a.m., I’m feeling good, at peace, with a good attitude, and I have to get instructions on what to do if I have a heart attack.)  However, I continued eating and enjoyed my breakfast, in spite of the negative thoughts that crept in over the computer.  

I often have to remind myself that to stay positive, I have to reject negative thoughts.  Remembering that God is a positive God helps me to maintain a positive outlook in life.               

If you have any questions, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-8477, or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.