HOW AM I? EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my deal:
  
—I know so many people going through tough times and I'm empathic so I absorb feelings.  I don't want  people I care about to hurt.

—ISIS makes me nuts with pure fury and then defeat.  The destruction of antiquities combined with the beheading of an 82 year old scholar got on my last nerve.

—Forest fires once wiped out my husband's home. The wildness and size of the flames and the thought of courageous young people working so hard and earnestly to fight the giant blaze makes me get weepy. Goodness and generosity in the face of huge danger and possible death.

—The lack of gravitas and dignity in our presidential candidates seems so juvenile.  I want an adult to run our country--a healthy, balanced, open to difference, and sane adult.  

—Race??? I sigh. The issue can become so vague when we talk solutions and so ugly and raw and violent when it becomes person to person.  

This is just some of the things on my 'easy to get hopeless' list.

BUT BUT BUT. I am thinking of a person in my workplace quite a few years ago who was unfailingly, buoyantly energetically positive. We teased him. We made a little fun of his stance. He never varied. He carried his optimism with him regardless of his personal day.

Brian St Pierre, where are you?  Today I remembered you and your energy during my optimism dip. So people, how about this week carrying a little optimism, leading the way, regardless of your day. As an experiment.
I'm starting now.

How am I???  EXCELLENT!!!