Choosing how to respond

So the climate at my school is pretty tense right at the moment.

Actually, in the entire town. Hmm, perhaps in the entire country. For the parts of it that have to deal with school budgets and program cuts, anyway.

I'm noticing that there seem to be two primary choices: worry, and talk in tightly-knit groups powered by negative, stressful energy. Or worry, and not talk about it at all.

What about another response?

What about NOT worrying, and choosing to work on the challenges and joys inherent in today?

What about attributing to each person or group involved, the best of all possible motives? Even if it's quite possible that the motives are mixed, how about responding by giving everyone--including the state financial decision-makers--responding by using Zander's idea of 'giving them an A"? (Zander and Zander, "The Art of Possibility". Great book.)

What would we lose? What would we gain? And how much more energy and joy would we bring to each day if we chose to respond to difficult situations by viewing them with the clear realization that this is a chance to practice the kinds of skills which build good character?

I'm not sure of the answers--and I'm mostly just asking myself this, here. But I intend to try this out. I intend to remain in focus on meeting each day's challenges with cheerfulness, and to choose to respond to any negative talk with a healthy, independent steadiness.

How about you? Do you ever face difficult situations in your work? I'd love to hear other good ways of responding-- and it's good to know that other people are working on this, too. I guess instead of 'misery loves company' we could say that 'good energy loves company'. What do you think?