The TRUTH About Optimism
Some people are naturally optimistic (me!!!) and some seem to wait for something bad to happen after something good happens, almost as a way of proving themselves right.
The truth about life is that there are some good things and some not so good things that happen to everyone. And with that, there are some simple truths about optimism worth reminding yourself about.
You choose how you look at any situation. Even the bad ones. You give meaning to each and every situation.
Is your food cold? Oh, well… there goes the whole day!
Or, it’s amazing how many different ways there are to get your food to the temperature you really want.
Did you find a dime in the parking lot? Well, you wished for more money and here it is! What, not enough? It’s “just” a dime? Yep. Right on both counts.
Someone close has passed. How is that a good thing? The memories your hold dearly are good. The value that person brought to the world during his or her time here was good. (And I have dear ones whom I think about daily, so it’s not some “get over it” kind of statement I’m making. This is about honoring the life that was and taking that forward into the life that is.)
Optimism is about knowing that there’s something positive that can be created in any situation.
It’s about having faith that the right thing is coming, not wishing for something and doing nothing about it. I’ll get really personal here. My body gained several pounds over the last few months. A lot of us are facing that reality. Am I pessimistic about that? Am I depressed? Nope! I actually celebrate that my body is working well. It did exactly what it needed to do in the conditions that were given to it. And because of that, I know that I can make some changes to shed those pounds.
I shared this in the last chapter of my very first book, Choosing Your Power:
Awareness Leads to Choice and
Choice Leads to Awareness.
It’s a wonderful cycle. You’d feel exceptionally stuck and far from optimistic if you didn’t become aware of the choices you actually do have in your life.
The truth about optimism is that it works.
The truth is that you’re the one in control of it.
And, it’s all about your perspective.
You can imagine the worst possible outcome, or you could use your imagination for something a little more positive.
Turn up the corners of your mouth. You’ve got this!
~ Dr P ~
Inspiring Greatness & Expecting Excellence™