It goes without saying. Our county has it assets and liabilities, like every region. It also has something else. Something really important. It has incredible people living here that understand you can choose to focus on the glass half full or half empty.
Recently we made the top of a Bay Area newscast where once-again, the story was supposed focus on the “terrible algae.” As usual, reporters attempted to focus on the couple of weeks out of the year when the lake blooms its very special “flowers.” Enter Jill Ruzicka, Lake County Public Information Officer, Melody De Leon, of De Leon Engineering and Scott De Leon, Director of Public Works for Lake County. Now you might think, of course it is in their best interest to show the area in it’s best light. It’s their job. But in that broadcast I think they did something very special. They took the opportunity to help the outside world get a look at what really goes on here. Instead of just allowing the media to come here, and lead the “locals” into sharing their worst fears and steering a story toward the dark side, they chose to lead by example. They took the media, and the rest of the world via the broadcast, on a tour that demonstrated we are not a region or a lake defined by its challenges, but by its charms.
I for one want to thank and share my sincere appreciation for these three. Among others in our fair county, they share a passion and personal mission to shout from the roof tops “it is really cool here!” We are fortunate that so many residents go above and beyond the call of duty in both the defense of the region and in promotion of its assets.
A question remains however, with all that we have to be grateful for in this lifetime, when faced with certain realities, do so many choose to default to the negative?
Is this just the status-quo of popular culture? Or could it be our nature? Is it in our biology that we must watch the train wreck and if there isn’t one, we participate in creating one? If it is our nature, I think Jill, Melody and Scott are to be singled out as “super natural.” They seem to see through the passing challenges for what they are, challenges to be met and overcome. Not a hand to be dealt.
People like Jill, Melody and Scott can help us see the best in ourselves and our communities. They lead by example. They choose to speak out in ways that are of service to themselves, their families, our community, and our beloved lake.
So if you are like Jill, Melody and Scott, one of those who understand we have choices in how we motivate ourselves, speak to each other and live our lives as positive contributors, hats off to you! Keep up the good work. I for one, know choosing to spread a positive outlook pays big dividends. Sharing positive points of view helps unite and emphasize what we have to be grateful for and has even been proven to support improved health and longevity. So next time you’re presented with the opportunity to say something positive or negative remember, your choice defines you and can also define the community in which you live. You know what to do.
Ted Mandrones is president of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce
