There’s the old illustration that I’m sure we’ve all heard that demonstrates the difference between a positive and negative attitude.  The way the story goes, people that like to study the minds of kids supposedly put two boys in some area where there was a pile of manure.  One kid was expressing his disgust at the smell and the mess.  The other started digging in because he knew for sure there had to be a pony in there somewhere.

I love horses but I must admit that I’ve NEVER seen one under a pile of horse hockey.

I seriously doubt that this scenario ever took place but it’s still a pretty good and illustrative story.  We’ve met people who are similar to those two kids.  We’ve been around people who, regardless of the circumstances are always positive and pushing forward.  Then, there are those who seem to be thrilled to deliver bad news and bring down the morale of their audience.  Those are the ones that your stomach ties up in knots when they’re around you or when their name comes up on your caller ID.

They’re also the ones who seem to brighten up the room . . . after they leave.

You are probably thinking of a couple of people just like that right now, huh?

What sales trainer, Zig Zigler, calls “stinkin’ thinkin’” has permeated almost every crack and crevice of western civilization.  Whether it is sales people spreading “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt) about their competitors, the media smiling while telling us the latest bad news, or our co-workers being negative, society seems bent on bringing people down instead of lifting them up.

Aunt Maude and Boffo The Clown were a semi-regular characters on The Wallace and Ladmo Show.  Aunt Maude was a spunky old “lady” (again, played by the uber-talented Pat McMahon) who lived in the fictional town of Senior City.  Boffo (again, played by McMahon) was not your typical clown.  He was a grumpy, menacingly irritable, unfriendly clown.  He hated most things that one would think that clowns would love. 

Laughter?  Nope.
 

Kids?  Uh-uh. 

Birthday parties?  Not for any amount of money.

Aunt Maude’s trademark was reading stories that one would assume was “kid friendly” but turned out to have horrible conclusions. She read them with such glee as to cause one to wonder where her head really was. As my fading memory recalls, many of her stories brought Ladmo to tears.

And, like the salespeople who spread FUD, Aunt Maude appeared to take a certain demented joy in bringing fear and tears to kids, young and old alike.  She would end stories with endings like, “. . . and little Bobby and Betty were never heard from again . . .” (check out  www.wallacewatchers.com  to see the whole story.  It’s a great website for all things “Wallace and Ladmo”!).

Unfortunately, my inner Aunt Maude or Boffo The Clown will occasionally spew forth and usually at the worst times, making my inner Ladmo seem almost non-existent.

No, I don’t read scary stories to little kids (although, the thought of it does appeal to me from time to time) but I do find myself viewing life through cloudy lenses once in a while, predicting negative outcomes in life.  I’m sure that I’m not alone in this.

Our “Aunt Maude’s” and “Boffo’s” will manifest themselves in the scenarios just mentioned. They will also pop up in a variety of other ways so we’ve got to be watchful and careful if we ever hope to ever attain our inner Ladmo.  Regardless of the negative circumstances that face us, we’ve got to view these opportunities with a realistic and positive outlook.

Notice that I said, “realistic”.  Don’t you just hate it when someone’s acting as if they’ve drunk way too much La La Juice and are acting too positive to be sane?  That’s not what I’m suggesting (though, the escape from reality is tempting from time to time).

Here’s how I think Ladmo would handle it: 

Having a bad day?  Find something to smile about even if you don’t feel like doing so.

Are you or someone you know faced with super serious circumstances?  Face them head-on with a smile on your face, looking for the best possible outcome from it and aim for that prize.

Besides, in this party called life, “clowns” are supposed to bring joy and laughter, not act like the rear end of the pony ride.

Next, we’re off to see our inner Wizard.