The Glass Isn't Half Full....It's Completely Filled

Welcome to The Glass Is Full, a weekly column that explores the brighter side of the news, events and people we encounter in our everyday lives.

The world is a wonderful place.

I’ve always considered myself a glass half full kind of guy who looks for the good in a bad situation, and the better in a good one. There is no challenge that can’t be addressed with a nice helping of positive thinking (and a hearty side of humor).

As the editor here on Amherst Patch, I get the opportunity to meet new people everyday that each have a unique and personal story to tell. This can range from a short discussion on a political issue to an in-depth conversation on a tragic event overcome through nothing but tears.

Yet, there is so much more to a person than the bite-sized description used in a story or an interesting quote squeezed between two paragraphs of information. Every single one is a fascinating individual standing atop a lifetime of hopes, fears and experiences that just can’t fit neatly into a news article.

I’ve always been a bit of a people-watcher. Everybody amazes me because there are billions upon billions of us crammed on a space rock floating through space, and only a few have managed to escape its gravitational grasp. The numbers of us are astronomical, but each finds a way to leave our own distinct mark on the world.

So many people, so many lives.

We have hundreds of millions of individuals who go through the ups and downs of this thing we call human existence. All of these people can be categorized onto one of two sides: the Glass Half Fullers and the Glass Half Empties.

You are already well aware of what side I currently stand. Being on a Glass Half Fuller means being fully aware of the great things happening are you, while taking on challenges with an open mind to solutions.

Being part of the Glass Half Empties team makes things much more difficult by closing the mind from any possible hope of happiness. A good day is just a bad day waiting to happen, and a bad one is just waiting to turn into an eternity.

I have encountered both of these kinds of people in my daily life reporting right here in New Hampshire. Some people just have this positive energy that spreads to those around them, while others seem like they would be more content in a dumpster near Elmo’s house.

Seeing the positive is not just clinging to ignorance when it comes to facing the problems of life. It is the process of looking at all sides of an issue and finding the good while dealing with the bad (and the ugly).

Sticking to the negative is just making excuses and avoiding the bigger picture. It is hard NOT to be angry and combative when enclosed in the negativity of one’s own mind. (Don’t believe me? Check out some of the comments on our political stories)

I was thinking about this quenching duality of water and glasses this week and came to a realization: why is the glass half of anything? Shouldn’t it be completely filled?

After a few sips of coffee, (and at least fifteen visits to Facebook) I came to the realization that the glass isn’t completely filled because it is waiting for YOU to fill it. Our lives start as empty containers just waiting to have something poured into it.

Did you hold a door for somebody today? Add a drop. Smiled at a stranger for no reason? Add two. Sent a Patch Editor a complimentary letter and a six pack of beer? Just keep on pouring.

The Glass Half Fullers know that there is so much more to add as the days go by. They know that it is their job to make the best out of their lives and surround themselves with others who will surely fill their glass with joy.

The Glass Half Empties are stuck with only a part of the whole glass (and I bet they are really thirsty).

So I say the glass isn’t half empty or half full...it is COMPLETELY FILLED. It may not be that way now, or even tomorrow, but we can add a bit to it each day. If life is a marathon, then the optimists are fully hydrated and the pessimists are dizzy from the dehydration.

In the end it all comes down to how you look at it.