Image: Flickr/Joe Penniston

“A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.” (H.L. Mencken)

Most of us do it without even realizing it. You start to see some progress in becoming ScreamFree and then you quickly look around for the negative things you continue to do. “Yeah, I’m doing okay, but have you seen how I am around my boss?” Or maybe you “Yeah, but…” the whole notion of ever finding a calm connection with your spouse. “Yeah, things are going pretty well right now, but wait until the end of the month when the money gets tight again.”

We’ve all done this from time to time. We wrap our hope in a wet blanket of cynicism, and, in doing so, we end up creating the very outcomes we were hoping to avoid.

Today, stop and smell the roses. Find something positive you’ve done, some progress you’ve made. Celebrate moving in a ScreamFree direction — even if it’s just a few baby steps. And stop looking over your shoulder for that coffin!