After the Boston Marathon bombing a few years ago, I heard someone say that their mother taught them to always look for the good people.
We live in a society where media is everywhere and always accessible. While there are many advantages to this, there are also a few negatives. The thing that I hate most is hearing all of the sad and tragic news ALL the time!
It’s good to be aware of what’s going on in our communities and around the world, but some days I feel like all I hear is tragedy. And when there is a major event like the Boston Marathon bombing, I feel like you can’t get away from it. Every news station reports on it all day long, and every news alert my phone receives is in reference to the horrific event.
This article is written by Karissa Tunis
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How Do You Look For The Good?
I understand that the networks and media companies profit off ratings, but I wish more of it would be censored. It’s gotten to the point that I hardly watch the news anymore when my children are in the room. And it’s becoming easier to get anxiety when I have to leave my house, or when I find myself in a large crowd. It’s scary to think that at any moment something crazy could happen that I have absolutely no control over. And if I dwell on it too much, it’s easy to get depressed and question the world we live in.
It’s crazy to think, that in this country, a lot of our tragedies are caused by 1 person, or a small group of people. Those few individuals can create utter chaos and extreme devastation for many, so I understand why it makes the news.
But, if you step back and follow this wise Mother’s advice, you will see that there are still good people out there. And, in most situations, the good people out-number the bad.
Set Your Focus
If you focused on the bombers and their accomplices, it’s all negative. But if you look for the people who ran to help, that offered assistance, you will see that the good outnumbered the bad.
When you focus on this, you realize that there is still HOPE.
When you hear about the heroes that stepped forward and ran into the danger to save others, you feel LOVE.
And when you hear about those that risked their lives to save an innocent child you feel APPRECIATION and ADMIRATION.
Moving Forward
If we focus on the good, it does not mean that we are belittling the severity of the situation; but we are finding a way to move forward. Putting my kids in bubbles is not a realistic option, although I sometimes wish it was! So I believe it is better to look for the good, and to give that the attention.
I read a quote by Mother Teresa that said
“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”
What an incredible challenge! And what a great simple point. It does start at home. It’s what we teach our children, what they learn in our schools, what the TV and the media are telling them, what movies and video games are portraying to them. But most importantly, it’s what WE as parents and guardians are teaching and focusing on. And it starts in our homes.
I want my kids to always look for the good, seek out the good, and surround themselves with good people. Hopefully then they will reduce their chances of being in a bad situation. But if one ever unfolds in front of them, I want their instinct to be good, and I hope that they will be able to help in a positive way.
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