Contributed photo courtesy of Wesley McDonald, Candlebox Productions
BY DARRIN CANNIFF, Special to the Voice
A little over nine months ago, a group of positive people got together and asked the question, “How can we make Chatham-Kent a more positive place to live?” We had no idea where it would go. We knew that Chatham-Kent has many positive people but it often seems that the negative voices are the loudest.
We ultimately decided to focus on “Positivity Day” in Chatham-Kent, coinciding with the National Day of Positivity. One of the key focuses for us was to get the youth of Chatham-Kent engaged. So, we invented Captain Positive and Negative Ned and made a series of videos filmed across Chatham-Kent that were then posted on YouTube.
The purpose was to build awareness and interest in Positivity Day. Local school boards were contacted to get the youth involved along with local businesses.
September 13 proved positivity is alive and well in Chatham-Kent. Thousands of people celebrated across the municipality and once again confirmed we live in an amazing community. The highlight for me was seeing the thousands of kids out celebrating and learning about positive thinking. The schools in Chatham-Kent grabbed a hold of the idea and ran with it. Virtually every school tied positivity into the curriculum in some way. Many local businesses also participated to create a more positive community for their staff and clients/customers.
The key to positivity day is that it is more than just a day. Positive thinking is a choice we make each and every day from how we perceive events in our life, the people we interact with and what we think of ourselves. Positivity day is hopefully the beginning of a journey in Chatham-Kent that will make our community a leader in positive thinking.
The future is bright and it is up to each and every one of us to create the future we want, get involved and appreciate all of the wonderful things we have in life. No matter the struggles we face in life, we are truly blessed to live in this great country and this amazing community.
Thanks to everyone that made September 13th a wonderfully positive day in Chatham-Kent. Each of you truly made a difference in our community
Plans have already started for next year and ways to keep the spirit of positivity alive and well in Chatham-Kent. If you are interested in getting involved contact Darrin Canniff at djcanniff@gmail.com.
As Captain Positive would say: Stay Positive my Friends!
