"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will find it."
Abraham Lincoln as stated in Pollyanna
One of the benefits of having two elementary aged daughters is that you are sometimes forced to watch movies and read books you normally would not chose. One such movie is Disney's 1960 Classic Pollyana based on the 1913 novel by Eleanor Porter.
The title character is named Pollyanna Whittier whose parents are missionaries who are killed, making her unexpectandly an orphan. She is forced to live with her namesake Aunt Polly who is a stern and unloving person despite having much material success.
Pollyanna despite her humble upbringings uses the "Pollyanna Principle". This principle states simply to always find the "glad" about a situation. If Pollyanna is given crutches instead of the doll she wanted, she is glad she doesn't have to use her crutches.
Being thankful for what we have and those around us is a central tenant of Thanksgiving. While it is easy to get caught up in the negativity of everything around (news, media, etc), finding the gladness in ourselves and others is a step towards our own contendeness.
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