Develop a Good Perspective About the World

Envy, prejudice, racism, anger and intolerance are major problems. Some of us want to be like others or wish we had what they have due to envy. Some of us prejudge, fear or hate others because they look or appear to be different from us.

We tend to spend at least some time being angry at things or other people. It is very hard to eliminate these negative characteristics but we can greatly lower the amount of negativity we harbor by living with a better perspective. We will discuss how to put everything into a good perspective and be less hateful toward others.

Barack Obama just became the first black president-elect in United States history. I voted for him and do not regret it but it is a shame his election is causing some racial strife.

According to the news, the number of hate crimes toward ethnic minorities is rising. Some hateful people who cannot tolerate the idea of a dark-skinned person holding the most powerful office in the nation are attacking some ethnic minorities to get revenge against someone as they know they cannot hurt Obama.

Do you hold intolerant views toward Obama or people similar to him? Are you hateful or jealous toward a person of a minority race who possesses power or wealth because you naturally think he or she is unqualified and undeserving? If you are, you should put the realization that he or she is wealthier or more powerful than you into a good perspective and consider that he or she probably attained the high status he or she has through merit and hard work. If you do this, you will likely eradicate all of your bad feelings and feel much better.

My perspective is that politics should not be discussed in the workplace. Employees should not discuss who they voted for in the last election. If you know or run into someone who says he voted for John McCain, do not tell him you voted for Obama, especially if you are a minority.

Occasionally take a day to have no negative thoughts about your life or anything else. On the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I refused to even spend a second being upset or frustrated about any of my personal circumstances. Instead of worrying that the economy is bad and that I do not make enough money, I completely reflected on the fortunes my life brings me. The more you can do this, the less angry and bitter you will be. This is a great way to put things into a positive perspective.

Another great way to put things into a good perspective is to realize the news you hear is not always complete. My city of St. Louis, Missouri gets a bad rap for being dangerous. We have a population of over 100,000 and we have averaged only about a hundred murders the last several years. Law enforcement has taken great steps to lower crime and keep small incidents from becoming worse; furthermore, I have not seen or experienced a lot of trouble.

Use the information you have learned to put everything into a good perspective and learn to accept everyone!