The hospital stay brought the family together. In fact, one finally got the haircut his mother had wanted for years. The spouses pulled together. Finally, the mother was able to receive the care she’d always given to others. There is usually a silver lining, and it’s only a shame it often takes difficulty to reveal it.

This is the first of several posts in response to questions and comments raised in the show. Throughout the show, I was struck by the time spent on why someone is optimistic. Why? Possible answers included genetic predisposition, insanity and even geography. I’m not sure about the finality of any one of these answers.

I think optimism is a choice. For example, it’s easy to blame negativity or passivity on geography. The weather isn’t right, the neighborhood isn’t ideal, the economy especially hit this city vs. that city. It could go on and on. If someone is in this situation, it is a matter of choice for that person to think optimistically. Really. For example, the people in Bhutan, the country that measures national happiness, are happy. But I think it is because they have made a conscious decision to be happy! Yes, I agree the altitude may help. But I don’t think the altitude alone makes them happy. Regardless of how many factors are involved, the deciding factor in happiness – in Bhutan and anywhere else - is always making the choice to be happy.

Here is the link: http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/index

Are you watching? Did you see it? What do you think?

The editorial review, product description is: There are many words to describe Michael J. Fox: Actor. Husband. Father. Activist. But readers of Always Looking Up will soon add another to the list: Optimist. Michael writes about the hard-won perspective that helped him see challenges as opportunities. Instead of building walls around himself, he developed a personal policy of engagement and discovery: an emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual outlook that has served him throughout his struggle with Parkinson-s disease. Michael-s exit from a very demanding, very public arena offered him the time-and the inspiration-to open up new doors leading to unexpected places. One door even led him to the center of his own family, the greatest destination of all. The last ten years, which is really the stuff of this book, began with such a loss: my retirement from Spin City. I found myself struggling with a strange new dynamic: the shifting of public and private personas. I had been Mike the actor, then Mike the actor with PD. Now was I just Mike with PD? Parkinson-s had consumed my career and, in a sense, had become my career. But where did all of this leave Me? I had to build a new life when I was already pretty happy with the old one.Always Looking Up is a memoir of this last decade, told through the critical themes of Michael-s life: work, politics, faith, and family. The book is a journey of self-discovery and reinvention, and a testament to the consolations that protect him from the ravages of Parkinson-s.With the humor and wit that captivated fans of his first book, Lucky Man, Michael describes how he became a happier, more satisfied person by recognizing the gifts of everyday life.

If you’re too young to know who Michael J. Fox is, here is the description listed on Amazon: Michael J. Fox gained fame playing Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. His many other acting successes include the Back to the Future trilogy, and his award-winning lead role in Spin City, from which he retired in 2000. That same year, he launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has leapt to the forefront of the effort to find a cure. He is the author of a previous book, the #1 bestseller Lucky Man, and lives with his family in New York City.

For more information about the Michael J. Fox Foundation, please visit michaeljfox.org.

Do you have a positive article you’ve seen? Or, do you know of a great side effect?

I have a disease which has no explanation, yet it has extremely positive attributes I must abide by. I think that’s good – it helps me in the short term and the long term.

Do you have a story of staying positive in spite of an illness? If so, all comments are welcome!