Gas prices continue to climb.

Foreclosures are at an all-time high, and the housing slump is only getting worse.

The stock market is posting major losses.

There’s uncertainty in the Middle East, and back home, political battles are just warming up.

Oh, and did I mention you’re twice as likely to die if you don’t get enough vitamin D?

In only the past four days, that’s about half of the negative, or at the very least concerning, news absorbed through the airwaves and in print. And although much of the worrisome news out there is largely tied to our poor economy, it seems lately we’re presented with little to smile about.

Then, a June 26 story from Fox News puts everything into perspective: “Baby who ‘died eight times’ looks forward to sweet 16.”

That’s right, a little less than 16 years ago, a baby from England was fitted with the world’s smallest pacemaker. And during the operation, the heart of Kirsty Sanderson, now 16, stopped.

Eight times.

Today, even though she’ll be on her fifth pacemaker at about age 26 and then every 10 years after that, Sanderson says she’s thankful everyday to have a “normal” life.

We can learn a lot from Sanderson.

Even in these tough economic times, when the odds seem stacked and our worries might be getting the best of us, we should be doing our best to see the bright side of any situation.

In its July issue, alive magazine had some great tips for curbing the worries on our minds:

· Instead of dwelling on what’s wrong, it might be a good idea to take a proactive stance. For example, if the War in Iraq has you down, join others in the quest to settle troubling issues.
· Like Kirsty Sanderson, learn to change your perception of the current situation. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, focus on the good in your life.
· Don’t dwell on the past. Instead, narrow in on what you still want to achieve, and don’t overlook the possibilities that are up ahead.

A Kansas City, Kan.-based author has pledged his support to the National Fibromyalgia Association, a nonprofit group that provides programs and support services for those who suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

Jody Summers, who released his first novel in March, will donate to the association a portion of the earnings from sales of “Dark Canvas,” according to a news release. Each sale will provide funding for fibromyalgia research and outreach.

The novel follows the life of an artist who mixes the cremated remains of the dead with paint to create tribute paintings. Summers has a friend who is stricken with fibromyalgia, and her artwork provided inspiration for “Dark Canvas.”

Summers, who is now writing two other books, including a sequel to “Dark Canvas,” said in the release that he plans to contribute to a particular cause with every book he writes. His Web site is www.jodysummersbooks.com.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has again brought to light the potential dangers of food dyes with an appeal to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban certain artificial colorings.

The interest group wants the dyes – Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3 and Yellow 6 – to be pulled from shelves and replaced with natural colorings, according to a story from WebMD.

The Center asserts studies have shown that artificial colors could escalate attention and hyperactivity disorders in sensitive children. One such study – results of which were published in 2004 – looked at several trials and concluded “food dyes contribute to hyperactivity disorders in sensitive children,” WebMD reports.

For some children, a doctor quoted in the story claims that eliminating artificial colorings could have similar effects as drugs for hyperactivity.

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