Path of psychological well-being

Positive attitude is not just a state of mind. When I focus on something other than problems, my mind takes advantage of it's strength. Positive thinking and positive attitude may indeed have power. I have always felt there was a connection between attitude and well-being. An optimistic outlook on life has kept my mental health strong. Negative feelings are easy to measure because they are affected by stress, anxiety, and depression. Positive attitude is much more difficult to quantify because the clearly defined scales used to measure depression do not exist for happiness. I can get depressed easy. Every day stress and anxiety effect me just like it does every body else. It is a lot harder to make myself feel happy. Sometimes it's not easy to see the positive effect of something, I tend to see the negative side first. When I focus on other people's problems rather than my own it seems to help me more than I know, it gives me purpose in life and prevents the negative effects of stress. If I can get outside myself it makes me feel better and more relaxed. Happiness will surely follow. Positive attitude must not be misunderstood, it is not a cure for everything. People need to think not in terms of a complete change, but rather in a broader better life. Positive attitude surely brings about psychological well-being, keeping life worth living and maybe even extending it.

Personality verus Politics

With the conclusion of the Presidential debates each side has unleashed an unlimited number of statements justifying their stance on every topic and portraying their opponet as out of touch with reality. Both canidates manage expectations of themselves by touting the negative issues of their opponet. Bush is not an unknown this time, his identity is clearly fixed and that is both good and bad. He will not be able to offer himself as a change from the established order or portray his foe as a poster child for the status quo. He already has an edge because he is President. He must play defense a little more because it is his record that's really up for grabs and his performance that's being scrutinized. Bush has always pitched the stay the course message, he has not found other approaches so he play's lots of defense with this stratage. He has had a free ride with the press, they challenge him on very little. He has never needed to justify his decision making. Bush connects very well with the general public. Most people like him even tho he mandles language and makes mistakes, he seems like a regular person.
Kerry has an unusual command of the facts and specifics, and that makes it almost impossible to stump him. He sometimes has a hard time connecting with people thru the television media because of his uncanny ability to change the subject without appearing to do so. This works in his favor by preventing Bush from lowering the publics expections of a Kerry administration. We formulate our opinions about personalitys thru television, it's the only time most of us get up close and personal with the candidates. We see facial flaws, the eyebrows, the way they stand. We should focus more on what we hear rather than what we see. Substance is never the predominate factor in a presidential campain, because that's not what people remember. Informed voters search out substance, but they are few, most make their choice for president from a 30 second sound bite or a 2 minute video clip on the national news, and that is surely a recipe for disaster.

A/Fujian

This is the time of year people began lining up to be vaccinated for the flu. Every year there seems to be a problem with the vaccine. In 2001 there was a production problem. Last year the flu got off an early and severe start, causing serious illnesses so there was a rush to get vaccinated and manufactures sold out early. I did not get my vaccination till the middle of November. This year's vaccine has a production problem similar to 2001. 56 million doses of vaccine were cotaminated and will not be shipped to the US, only people over 65 and a few more special groups will be able to get this years vaccine. There are going to be a lot of very sick people this year. There are three strain's this year B/Shanghai, A/ New Caledonia, and A/ Fujian, the worst of the group. This year I received the vaccine on October 4, one day before the announcement of the shortage, hopefully I will not be one of the sick people this year.

The Bondage of Addiction

This week I celebrated 5 years of sobriety. I have been liberated from the mysterious power of the ravages of addiction. My soul has come full circle, back to the gentle and humble person I was before alcohol took over my life. Learning to live life one day at a time and the power of prayer has reunited me with the person I was at birth. My life in addiction was full of fear, arrogance, resentment, manipulation and competition. When disappointment arrives now I see a blessing waiting to be discovered, not the resentment or the manipulative mental state I always reverted to. I think about my feelings no matter how how good or painful they may be. One's emotional state hinges on the ability to know yourself. When I am feeling anger, sadness, joy, or fear, celebrating the good and not repressing the bad lets me stay in the bright light of emotional bliss.
Discipline had always lifted me above the crowd, but as one, addiction was a height I could not scale above. Oh I tried many times, using the strength of my discipline and each time I fell before I was able to step above addiction. I looked at it as a competition, something that could be defeated and then on to the next conquest. Discipline is a wonderful charteristic only if one is aware of it's limitations, I was not. I had to surrender, an act I always thought was a sign of weakness. Admitting I could not overcome alcoholism by myself was my first act , asking for help was the next. I never want to live in the mental and physcial state of addiction ever again. I have been granted a one day reprieve from alcoholism , not a week, month nor year. I will always be an alcoholic but now when my decease rears it ugly head, I have the tools to defend myself from it's everlasting progression, tools I received from other sober alcoholics and the program of alcoholics anonymous.