A Fine Swell Day

I spent this morning listening to (and the rest of the day humming) a few of Bill Wurtz's songs. Most of his songs are more silly than meaningful, but I found some inspiration in one of his songs titled Mount St. Helens is about to Blow Up.

Naturally, the title and the subject matter is pretty grim, but its music is upbeat and it's sung with an upbeat attitude, beginning with the lines "Mount St. Helens is about to blow up, and it's gonna be a fine swell day." The song describes this impending natural disaster, an unrelated financial disaster, and another potentially apocalyptic problem, but the song never loses its optimism.

Whether that optimism is genuine, sarcastic, or short-sighted, it inspires me with genuine optimism and with the knowledge that, no matter what is happening on any particular day, it can still be a good day, if we choose to see it as one.

Of course, it's not always easy to see a given day as a good one, and various disasters can increase that difficulty, but no matter how bad a day or situation is, there is always some good in it, and focusing on the good can help us gain the emotional strength to endure the bad.

So, whether you're worried about Mount St. Helens blowing up or any other problem, try to focus on the positive aspects of life, and let the joy you gain from what's good in the world give you the strength you need to endure the bad in it. If we have an upbeat, positive attitude, any day can still be a fine swell day.