Look on the bright side of life

'You'll often find it's those people, caught in the face of adversity, who'll remain upbeat as they count their losses'

IT'S been a rocky start to 2018 for many Clarence River residents, with storms wreaking havoc in various parts of the valley on the first two days of the year, as well as the first tragedy on our roads.

While Grafton residents have just about patched things up from the monster hail storm which hit the city on December 9, residents of Maclean and surrounds are now mopping up and assessing the damage after yesterday's wild storm.

But you'll often find it's those people, caught in the face of adversity, who'll remain upbeat as they count their losses and do what needs to be done, rather than sorrowfully lament their misfortune.

Meanwhile, first world problems will continue to consume those oblivious to the real-life struggles of others in their community.

So my New Year's resolution is to encourage greater friendliness, acceptance and positivity within our community.

I find the idea of looking for the negative aspect of ... well, everything ... a tiring exercise.

It tends to come naturally for others. Too often people focus on the negatives, no matter how small or trivial.

What do we achieve - other than hindering our own progress in life - by highlighting the negatives?

A little more positivity never hurt anybody. So in 2018, "don't grumble, give a whistle, and this'll help things turn out for the best."

Originally published as Look on the bright side of life