When I woke up this morning, one of my sunflowers had lost the will to go on.

Apparently, its “Let’s Throw in the Towel Initiative” was highly persuasive, so the pink fellas to its left joined the dismal descent.

And to be honest, when I saw the lot of them, I thought, “Amen, brothers.”

The Sunflower, the Pink Petals and myself had officially joined the ranks of the wilted and downtrodden.

I found as I trekked into work that we weren’t the only ones.

The coffee guy:

Me, “Have a lovely day.” Him, in a very glass-half-full way, “I’ll attempt to.”

Two guys in the elevator:

Guy One, with a very cheery manner about him, “How are things?”

Guy Two, “Can’t complain.”

One, “Well you could, but probably best not to right?”

Two, channeling his inner-Charlie Brown, “I could,  but no one would listen anyway.”

One, as he left the elevator, “….well have a good day…?”

It all got me thinking: When did these dim attitudes and gloomy outlooks become the preferred approach to life?

I will be the first to admit there is a lot of tragedy and heartache out in the world. I know there are many out there with unimaginable burdens and loss. So when I say this, I don’t mean to simplify or belittle their sufferings.

But for a large number of us, why do we insist on outfitting ourselves in pessimism?

Clearly, I am a constant culprit. Just ask my plants. (Except for Molly…)

I know the economy is bad. Jobs are scarce. Gas prices are high. There are wars and instability seemingly everywhere. Uncertainty is the name of the game.

But, for any of you out there reading this right now, I just want to say:

Take a deep breath.

It’s going to be all right.

You will overcome the hardships that plague you.

I truly believe that we are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. I promise you can make it through.

Take heart in your own strength.

And when you’re feeling particularly down or pessimistic, breathe in some fresh air, and take in the beauty that’s around you.