Keep Calm and…What?!

Keep Calm and…What?!

By Allen Merritt ©2017

Have you seen those signs conveying the message to keep calm?

Keep calm and…what...exactly?

I know some people who if they’re behaving a little on the onry side of life, they do not want to hear someone tell them to keep calm. 

Can you picture it? 

“Keep calm? Don’t tell ME to KEEP CALM!” And then they go off on you, right?

It would be the equivalent of suggesting someone be patient. “Be patient? Don’t talk to ME about patience’s. I ain’t no doctor. ”

I guess, it all depends on the person and their perspective. However, remaining calm is a key component in engineering positivity. I mean, how can anyone be positive or encourage the positive when they are dwelling, sitting in or stirring up anger and negativity? 

Unfortunately, in our current culture, there are many who make this their way of life, their modus operandi. They thrive on it almost the same as when misery seeks its own company.

Therefore, the message I truly want to focus on this week allows us to find better ways to resolve and/or handle individual situations.

Keep calm.

I can see how this phrase is becoming important to society. I have encountered it and responded to its history in previous blogs, but it serves to bring it up again in light of current events.

When I think of calm, I envision contentment, peace, joyfulness, simplicity, kindness, appreciation, gratitude and feel good attitudes.

Of course, sometimes you don’t know how you will behave in the middle of a stressful situation, but if you are conscientious and considerate with some level of self-control to think before speaking, look before leaping etcetera, then keeping calm and…will lead to effective positioning and outcomes towards positive initiatives.

Despite the present run on the idea that political correctness is antiquated and shouldn’t be honored, I believe some sense of manners must exist. The Golden Rule is still alive. Operating without a filter only serves to heat things up and stir up trouble. It never fails! At the end of the day, no wins while being politically incorrect.

In consideration of this, I would like to suggest and promote a positive exercise of writing Keep Calm and… several times on a piece of paper.  Afterwards, fill in the blank(s). That’s right. Fill in that blank each time you come across a challenging or negative situation or incident with a positive and inspiring word or two which will motivate you into finding a peaceful resolution in that moment.

Some of the signs, hats and t-shirts I have seen give us all kinds of suggestions, so there is no right or wrong answer to how one fills in the blank given the circumstances, as long as it conveys a message of hope and positivity. It should focus on a win-win thought process.

Here are some standard suggestions to get you thinking more on it.

Keep calm and breathe.

Keep calm and smile.

Keep calm and laugh.

Keep calm and move on.

Keep calm and listen to music.

Keep calm and believe in dreams.

Keep calm and enjoy life!

As for me, I am disappointment more and more each day with the choices people are making toward causing a ruckus in a ploy to show their backsides and to garner as much attention to themselves as possible, even if it’s unfavorable attention.

There is a reason why there was and is a campaign for keeping calm.

It is my hope to encourage myself and others to look beyond such nonsense and reach out for betterment.

If we do, we just might continue down a path of living life more positively and that is something we all can benefit from.

Give it a try. That’s what I keep doing.

Enjoy your week.

Cheers!