Are You A Pollyanna?

Are You A Pollyanna?
And Who The Heck Was She REALLY?

I have been called a "Pollyanna" before and never really thought to ask more about that. In fact, I wasn't even sure if it was ever a compliment or not to be honest. And I was even quite sure it was not!
I mean, I know Hayley Mills played Pollyanna, but I did not understand at the time the depth of this character in the film or the original book.

Then just yesterday morning, I received my daily email from the Abraham-Hicks Foundation. Ok, LOVE them.

It said:

"We would demonstrate to everyone that we are cheerful, that we are optimistic, that we are happy, that we are looking for the best-feeling thought that we can find - and that we've practiced it so much that we often find it. And then, as people say to you, in accusing tones, "Oh, you are a Pollyanna," announce to them, "Pollyanna lived a very happy life."

So, of course I had to rush and google Pollyanna to find the whole scoop. She was sounding like my kind of girl for sure.

As many of you know (or may not know), Pollyanna is a character from a best selling novel written in 1913. Her philosophy of life centers on what she calls "The Glad Game", an optimistic attitude she learned from her Dad.

Basically, the game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation. One Christmas when Pollyanna was hoping for a doll, she received a pair of crutches, so her father made up the game up on the spot and taught her to look at the good side of things. In this case it was to be glad about the crutches because, as her Dad said, "We don't need 'em!"

Of course this attitude is put to the test throughout the story by her "not so enthusiastic" Aunt who creates scenarios to break Pollyanna of her optimism and smile. It does not work.

However, Pollyanna is put through the ultimate ringer when she is hit by a car and told she would not walk again.

Suddenly, she could not find anything to be glad about.

Meanwhile, many town members began calling Pollyanna's Aunt to tell her how much encouragement they received from little Pollyanna and how it improved their lives.

This snaps Pollyanna out of it and she reminds herself how glad she is to have legs. And as a result of being temporarily disabled, Pollyanna appreciated her legs even more when she learned to walk again.

Yeah, I would say now that being called a Pollyanna is a compliment. Anyone willing to truly find the good in every situation is a real hero to me.

The world can appear a very cruel place at times, with unexplainable events and circumstances that arise.

Placing ourselves in the awareness of appreciation and finding the good in situations is as easy as a shift in perception yet feels as hard as moving a mountain at times.

Come back to that "What's Right" list we have spoken about.

Use it. Practice actually being in the space of seeing more good and what's right in your life.

"When you look for the bad expecting it, you will find it."

I think it's OK to see the good and the rainbows.

Be kind to yourself and others.

With love,
Sahara