“You gotta look for the good in the bad, the happy in your sad, the gain in your pain, and what makes you grateful not hateful”. Karen Salmonsohn

How many people in your life are Debbie Downers? And no offense to the many other Debbie’s out there – I am sure there are countless wonderful, inspiring and effervescent Debbie’s. However social media is a petri dish for Debbie Downers. Once in a while we just have to realize that the life in life is beautiful. Really depends on how one sees life doesn’t it? Regardless of the circumstances, a tragedy, a sickness, a broken relationship it doesn’t matter – surely if we try hard enough we can find cause to rejoice and relish the beauty of life. And we all know that is no easy task at times, as a dear friend understands only too well whose soul was very recently scorched by the suicide of her dear friend. Even within that calamity – she is rediscovering the magic for her and her life.

I watched a superlative video the other day – perhaps some of you have seen it as well. It was of a lovely older woman, speaking in French and thankfully it was accompanied by English subtitles. She was recounting an episode she experienced as a young child in the Bergen-Belsen Nazi Concentration camp. The video begins with her displaying a large yellow patch with the word Juif that was emblazoned on a Jew’s outer garment during the Holocaust, hers in this example. She describes the circumstances that permitted her mother to bring into the camp two small pieces of chocolate only to be consumed “if you are about to collapse”, her mother carefully articulated to her. Where one piece of chocolate ended up and rest of that story I will leave up to you to search if you are not already aware of this captivating episode. Suffice to say, the events are uplifting and beautiful. Yes beautiful – a Holocaust story that is beautiful and there are many more examples. Yet still a Holocaust story, describing the depravity of her forced captivity, a childhood stolen away from her, surrounded by the death of countless friends and relatives – and she manages to give over a lovely lesson for us all.

So back to social media for a moment. We all get the point. We are against conservatives. We are aghast at the liberals. We are pro-Trump or repulsed by him. We need to demonstrate the righteousness of our position and the idiocy of our opponents’. We are compelled to post images of violent terrorist acts over and over again as if that will actually do anything more than exacerbate more hatred. We reinforce racial stereotypes and purport that “they” are all like that. Is it possible to see things a bit differently? I guess the question is the following: Is this serving you well? That is only for us individually to answer. I know my answer was no.

I have started reading The Astonishing Power of Emotions by Esther and Jerry Hicks, best selling authors of The Law of Attraction.   They write, “Now, what if someone told you that you do have a purpose in this life, and that your purpose is that of allowing more joy?” We have a choice of not only allowing more joy into our life but spreading more joy as well.

So perhaps, there are other ways to promote our cause on social media. Maybe there is a lesson in the Holocaust story with that precious piece of chocolate. Debbie Downers also have a choice – as do we all.