Woke Up This Mornin Feelin Fine….
I woke up this morning feeling great. The sun was shining, Sam Cooke was on the radio, and I was full of energy. I got to work and began perusing the newspapers in search of today’s topic(s) and quickly became involved in an all-out battle of wills between my good mood and the bleak news in media trying to bring me down. The media came out swinging with more talk of fighting in Gaza, worsening economies, increasing deficits, and rising unemployment. The only thing in me fighting to keep my good mood was Sam Cooke singing “A Change Is Gonna Come”, still in my head from the morning commute. But I was losing this war of moods. The doom and gloom in the press is a very powerful adversary.
But I don’t give up that easily, and I set out to find some news that could possibly be a beacon of light. After all, there has to be something out there worth mentioning that doesn’t make you want to hide under a rock, right? Well, there wasn’t much, let me tell you, but for what it’s worth, I just can’t bring myself to write about our ailing economy or the foreclosure moratorium. So let me begin by letting you in on a marketing campaign I just learned of, that I happen to believe in wholeheartedly.
According to Betsy McKay and Suzanne Vranica of the Wall Street Journal, “Coca-Cola is launching a new global campaign for its iconic cola, hoping to appeal to consumers’ longing for comfort and optimism at a time when the weakening economy is sapping soft-drink sales.” GENIUS! That’s exactly what we the consumers are looking for. A little bit of feel-good optimism will go a long way for them, and being a huge fan of crisp cold cans or glass bottles of Coca-Cola myself, the campaign’s already working on me and I haven’t seen one ad. Is it that obvious that there wasn’t much in the news today worth being excited about?
Well what about this San Diego weather we’re getting?! It’s absurdly enjoyable! If you recall, the weather was a huge reason for me feeling great when I woke up today. The Union Tribune reported that the Wild Animal Park reached 89 degrees yesterday and Oceanside Harbor hit 77. “The Santa Ana condition that ushered in the heat is weakening, but temperatures should remain above normal for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Highs at the coast should be in the low to mid 70’s and the inland valleys should be in the upper 70s to low 80s.” And to top that off, for any surfers out there you probably already know that storms near Japan and the Philippines are stirring up the waters and sending some decent surf our way for this weekend. Good surf and warm Santa Ana weather on a weekend in mid-January? That has to be some of the best news of 2009 so far. Especially considering much of the country is freezing their asses off. The Associated Press reports that in Ironwood, Michigan, temperatures fell to 25 below zero around midnight and then warmed to 8 below by 8 a.m. Keeping with our theme of optimism, Gary Jacobs of Barre, Vermont where temperatures have been hovering around zero for a week, said “People in Arizona say ‘It’s dry heat.’ This is fresh cold.” I like it Gary…I like it a lot. That’s the attitude we’re looking for!
I’m coming out of this battle having retained my good mood thanks in large part to actually writing about happy things. Sure there are those that could try (and always do try) to drag us optimists down by saying something like Coca Cola is all sugar and bad for you. Or that all this good weather isn’t good because what we really need is rain. Well, to all those people fighting for the wrong side, of course you’re right. But just because you’re right doesn’t mean that YOU have to drink Coke. And simply because we are in dire need of rain in this state, it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to enjoy the nice weather while it’s here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go grab my long board and take a dip in the Pacific. Keep fighting the good fight.
By Andrew Brentan
January 16th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Optimism is contagious. I like to hang-out with person who are optimist because they exudes happiness around them. It’s nice to have someone like you in this world, you make the tree look greener and the ocean bluer. Keep shinning optimist!
January 16th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Yes some people tend to think about the negative side all the time and they will never succeed in anything,so one has to think more on the positive side in order to achieve anything in life. So at the end fighting the good fight will always brings good results.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:08 am
I heard a wonderful saying once “only you can determine the level of your happiness”. So true-it is all in the attitude you decide to take.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:19 am
It is amazing how much of a difference a great attitude can make when dealing with any situation. You just have to keep in mind what truly matters in life, and not stress or worry about the rest.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:34 am
that’s an great article man.yap,attitude and approch towards someone & something really matters in life.
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January 19th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Attitude is everything, and optimism only brightens the situation-given lemons you should find a way to make lemonade.
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January 20th, 2009 at 12:41 am
I am very glad to read how is your attitude. Negative thinking amke a person looser. I think everyone should be optimistic without faith and trust nothing possible.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I think people are more likely to watch someone with a positive attitude. You can help set a good day for someone else.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
This article is just a simple reminder why I do not listen to talk radio, morning shows and do not read the newspaper! Some days it can be tough enough to stay positive, I don’t need all of these outside source bringing me down even quicker.
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 pm
It’s hard to be optimistic lately. The most encouraging thing I’ve read today is that the California assembly just voted to extend unemployment benefits. I’m looking forward to the day that the news is that the recession is finally over.