The Pursuit of Positivity

Picture credits: Ethan Logan

By: Ethan Logan

There is an old story about the power of a single word: maybe. The idea is that whatever crosses your path, maybe is bad or maybe is good. The main idea is to have the patience to see things through. The story starts with a farmer and his son; they have a horse, and one day the horse decides to run off. Then, the whole village comes by and says, “That’s so awful.” The farmer replies with a simple  “maybe.” Then, a couple of days later, the horse comes back with five more. Everybody in the village says, “That's amazing!” Then the farmer stays steadfast from the last remark, simply saying, “maybe.” A few days later, his son is riding one of the horses and falls and breaks his back. Everyone from the village is up in arms, saying how horrible that is. The farmer once again follows up with one simple but true statement, “maybe.” Finally, when the generals came through looking for soldiers for war, they skipped over the farmer’s son because of his back, and all the town said, “That’s so great,” and the farmer responded with “maybe.” This seems to continue despite the situation, and truthfully, it is something that I have seen as tangible in my own life. The main idea is to have the patience to see things through.

You may wonder why I write about this specific story. I feel that this story is significant in today’s world when thinking about positivity.  I believe that in a world full of hate, we lack love that would benefit our world so much. I believe that positivity isn’t a cop out but simply the way out. The way of our world is often toxic, damaging, and hates to see anyone succeed or do any good. The world today also lacks a great bit of gratitude. 

People in this world constantly seek what they don’t have and complain about not having it all. The world seeks a lifestyle where the only thing that matters is you and what you can get or have. I believe a life that is more worthwhile and brings more positivity and happiness is a life where gratitude is present. 

A question I’ve asked myself is “What can we possibly do to actually make a change?

Firstly, I believe simplification of your life is a huge step. Get rid of the things you hate and the ones you can realistically live without. Bad friends, that sport you hate, or that job you wish you didn’t have to do. Replace them with less or things you would rather do, because what's simple is easy and what is easy is simple.

A simple life allows you to spend time doing what you love and desire. Also, in my experience, I am much more positive doing what I love than what I hate. 

For example, I work at a gym, and I love to do my job. I work in the day care as well as the front desk and smoothie bar. Part of what makes me happy in life is talking to others and hearing about their life. I love hearing about what they love to do and any interesting stories they have. Working with children brings me lots of joy; they are wild and crazy, and it can be a blast to spend time with them, too. 

Because I love my job, it is easy to spend over 9 hours on a shift, and it is easy to deal with difficult people or questions. This is all a result of me just enjoying what I do. Not every moment is the best moment, but every moment is a worthwhile moment. 

Another way I feel you can grow to be more positive is to practice patience. Which is a much easier said than done idea. But I feel like the best place to start would be to put yourself in a situation where your patience is tested at least once each day or a few times a week. And be conscious about being better than you were in that situation. 

Here’s what I mean: when people oppose your thinking, you may immediately push to prove them wrong. This time, hear them out and fully understand their viewpoint before you try to rip it apart. I’ve learned it is a much more satisfying and enjoyable way of living. Because spending all your time arguing with people is draining and, honestly, boring. 

Lastly, this one is the most important in my opinion: be a freaking optimist. What does that mean, you may ask? Here is a definition from Dictionary.com: “a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.”

This may seem a little complex, but it's important to look on the bright side. Which, of course, is easier said than done, but it is very helpful. You lose a race, so now you know how fast you need to run to win. You fail a test, now you’re aware you need to study more. You learn something new, and you get to use that. Also, you get to go to school and work hard, while some people don’t. You get to have the legs to run races; many people don’t. This is the practice of optimism. You should try it sometime, it may make your life a bit more positive. 

I have seen this be the case in my life numerous times. In August of my freshman year, my grandfather passed away; he had a lot of health issues his whole life. His first of many heart attacks happened when he was just 39 years old. I obviously was born many years later and was somehow lucky enough to have known him for the first 14 years of my life. I have vivid memories of my grandfather and of his funeral.

My cousin Bradley talked at his funeral and said the best way to describe my grandfather was by the way he was always smiling and always positive. Even during his speech, he gave at the funeral, he said the best way to describe my grandfather was “that smile.” He then pointed at the screen that displayed my grandfather's face.

After all these years, I view his passing as a gift; it was a gift that I even got to know my grandpa. It was also a gift that I got my family back- I hadn’t seen my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side since I was a young boy. This was due to a falling out my mom and dad had with my aunt and uncle over their business plans. While in the moment, his passing was a difficult and painful moment, but it all worked out. I now see my family multiple times a year and during holidays. I have what I always wanted as a kid, but it took something that was bad to allow something better to bloom. 

I often reflect on these moments–the gifts that I have and the life I am blessed with. I feel like there is one more thing to have, gratitude. One more example from my life I can think of is a coach I have had throughout my junior year and first semester of my senior year. My cross country and track coach, Coach Strahorn. 

Strahorn moved to Jenks from Flagstaff, Arizona, in July of 2024. Strahorn has a strong will, and he is a very influential person. Strahorn brought a mentality to Jenks cross country and track: Gratitude.

He felt like it captured what he wanted more than any other word. He didn’t need big, long speeches; it was just a simple word.

A gratitude letter from Coach Strahorn hanging in my bedroom.

Picture credits: Ethan Logan

I believe gratitude is proof that we love what we have. Strahorn was a perfect practice of gratitude; he never complained about having too many kids or too few, and he never complained about the work that it was on him to do what he did. Instead, Strahorn embraced it and smiled all the way through. 

I was inspired, and it was something I continue to try to carry out in my life. It has made a major difference. I embrace the struggle and smile all the way through. He taught me major lessons about being grateful for what you have, not what you want. 

I take positivity as an important thing to follow and believe in. Without it, what would we have? These are the aspects of it that I believe are important and that I feel every person should try to carry out to the best of their ability!