HJLR Nov/Dec 2018

Editor’s Desk 8 NOV / DEC 2018  I  Healthcare Journal of Little rock   Smith Hartley Chief Editor editor@healthcarejournallr.com Optimism is powerful towards good health and well-being . You are created to be perfectly unique. Our uniqueness is what makes us interest- ing and valuable. You are perfect. Knowing you are uniquely perfect, you are then in control of your own attitude and optimism. You will move towards the mind’s eye. Optimism is the best means to direct the day, and thus the future. Circumstances will not always go as we want. That’s a given. But, maybe they will go as they are supposed to go. Hope and effort are our greatest ally. Optimism is our greatest tool. We see all the time what happens when we’re looking for the mysterious boogieman. Everyone and everything begins to look like the boogieman. If you want to see a boogieman, you can invent one. It’s really quite silly to look for him considering the boogieman doesn’t really exist. Optimism is powerful because it’s contagious. When you begin to think good things will happen, others are freed to join you. Then, good things happen. We all get to decide our direction. If we decide our direction is good and uplifting, then good and uplifting will occur. On our path, we will always encounter road blocks and mud puddles. But, just like you would do on a hike, walk around, build a bridge, or just walk through. You can do it all with a smile and good spirit. The way we attack each other is not necessary. The way we assume the worst is not necessary. It’s unproductive and negatively affects our own health. It lacks intelligence to destroy yourself and others so unnecessarily. It’s nice when we’re smarter. It’s preferable to move towards the good and uplifting. As healthcare providers, we have somany opportuni- ties to share with patients and co-workers the option of hope, healthy paths, and perspective. Many times, our patients are our greatest teachers. It’s always inspiring to meet and speak with people with real physical limitations and situations who treat life as a gift. The gift is not focused on number of days, but quality of time—time that is measured in uplifting moments more than minutes and days. Uplifting moments are the best we have, the best we can hope for, and our best chance at tomorrow. Optimism is powerful because it is a choice. It can begin right now. If you choose optimism in this moment, you will imme- diately begin to feel better. Practice optimism. See the good in others. It’s there, even in the people you don’t think are good. It’s there. They are good in their perfect uniqueness, which you may not understand in the moment. People are always dealing with something. Hope and a hand are the greatest gift you can offer. Whether they accept it or not is their choice. There are so many reasons to not live in the past, mostly because everyone has some idea of regret. But, if I honestly think of what I regret the most, it’s not being content at every phase of life. Contentment and optimism go together. There is a beautiful harmony between effort and opti- mism. With optimism and effort, the right contentment sets in. When we share effort and optimism, we share good health and well-being.