If a Tree Falls in the Forest and Nobody Hears, Will You Still Complain About It?

When a child is lost in the woods, he will run uphill.

It makes sense, right? After all, he is not very tall. Getting higher can only be an advantage.

Strangely (or maybe not so strangely) an adult lost in the woods with no bearings will inevitably wander downhill.

Unfortunately, that makes sense too.

Kids are full of hope. For the most part, they believe something better is just around the corner. All they have to do is run up that next hill.

There is no doubt. There is no “what if.” They simply climb.

Adults, on the other hand, tend to be full of apathy. They are prone to wander. All other variables being equal, the easiest thing to do is follow the path of least resistance.

When I think of children, I think of bright, smiling things that can light up a whole room with a giggle.

When I think of adults, I think of tired, grumpy, bored people who think their best years are behind them.

This is an exaggeration of course, I know many happy folks, but too often I see others who are the Kevin Durant of negativity. Give them a kitten covered in rainbows and they will find a way to flush it down the toilet. Give them a glorious sunset and they’ll gripe about how early they had to get up to watch it.

Days are “tough”. When you ask these people how they are, the answer is “I’m surviving” or some other variant of “just above terrible.”

Some folks are constantly riding the Struggle Bus to catch their stop on the Complain Train, and while I cannot condemn them for that (we all have bad days), those two methods of transportation always go downhill.

Adults go downhill because it is so much easier to point out the wrong in situations. Truth be told, it’s much simpler to be negative.

Positivity, on the other hand, is difficult. It’s hard to see the light in a dark place. It’s a problem to see bright sides in a situation.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.

Much like the child who climbs higher to get a better view of the world around them, we too can climb upwards. We can elevate ourselves. Repeated positivity gets us higher. It builds better relationships, it affords opportunities others miss, and it makes those around us much happier.

Maybe it’s because the view is better from up there.

You’re going to be lost in the woods at some point. What remains to be seen is which way you will go once you’re there.

Hope you enjoyed this post. If you liked it, smack that “Recommend” button down there. It gives me warm fuzzies ☺