How often do you play the ‘glad game’?
Pollyanna played it all the time and it would do us all the world of good to do the same.
Pollyanna lives according to her own philosophy, the glad game – which she learned from her father – and spreads her unrelenting cheer and optimism throughout the little New England town. Pollyanna finds a silver lining in every cloud and has an unbreakable spirit even in the face of terrible misfortune.
Where does the Pollyanna Principle come from?
It was named after the character in Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter which describes a girl who always looks on the bright side and tries to find at least one good thing in every situation. She plays this as a little game.
In the game you must find something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak.
In Disney’s 1960 film her aunts’ staff complain about it being Sunday so Pollyanna soon tells them that they can be glad of that “Because it’ll be six whole days before it’s Sunday again!”
She even gets the whole town playing this gratitude or glad game and so makes a positive impact on her whole community.
Being a Pollyanna takes some hard graft as we all encounter plenty in our lives that test our fortitude and resilience. Trying to be positive and finding that silver cloud in every lining can be hard but we can all be grateful for something.
This isn’t blind optimism either, just an acceptance that life is never perfect and we will always have something to moan about but that moaning can never be allowed to dominate our thinking.
Pollyanna has an optimistic knack of finding things to be glad about even when the situation is desperate.
Thank you for that lovely post. It is so true and good to apply, in school and life in general.