I like to think of myself as an “eternal optimist.” No matter what situation I encounter I always expect the best possible outcome.
To the pessimist, this just seems wrong and unwise. What if the best outcome does not prevail - what then? Well, in that case, you just pick yourself up and move on.
Expecting the best possible outcome doesn’t mean you’re not a realist or that you don’t understand that in life there are setbacks. It simply means that you are committed to making a conscious choice to see the positive in every situation. Some people call it positive energy; some call it plain wishful thinking. Some call it faith. But no matter the name you give it, I know that it can make a difference in your life. It’s all too easy to go into situations full of doubt, expecting the worst, but that negativity simply adds stress and takes the joy and excitement out of trying something new.
Recently my two-year-old son started playing soccer and he was very determined to get the ball in the goal. As I watched him kick the ball continuously past the goal, I could see the wheels of determination turning in his head. He even started singing a song from his favorite show, “I can do it. There’s nothing to it, I can do it by myself.”
Every time he went in for another kick, he kept the same energy and same light in his eyes. He refused to allow himself to be discouraged. When he finally made a goal, he shouted out, “I did it!” At two years old, he expected the best possible outcome and he knew that if he kept at it, he would land his goal.
No matter how many times we fail, we should always approach the next task as if we’ve never been defeated. If you haven’t had any in a while, try a little dose of optimism, and watch it change your day. Today choose to, Get Up and Thrive!
Comments (11)
Add commentLOVED IT! I am reading a few
LOVED IT! I am reading a few things about fighting the good fight."The Good Fight is the one we wage on behalf of our dreams." Where we are not concerned with the outcome as much as the fight during. It's amazing you mentioned your son, the book talks about the fight being about the good fight when we are younger but not knowing why. But as we get older we become so concerned with how others perceive us and our own fears, that we give in before we even start to fight. Which then ends up killing our dreams.
I love this! I'm actively
I love this! I'm actively learning the power of positive energy in my life right now. As I approach tasks with a smile and the excitement of the pending sense of accomplishment, people come to my aid, and I am more successful, faster! When you bring the positive energy, others want to join the party.
Wow, I so needed to read
Wow, I so needed to read these words today. Optimism - opportunity... that's where I'm struggling, finding the opportunity. It was so much easier as a child because we didn't know failure, hadn't experienced "life and all its warts and wrinkles" so we just plunged in and hoped for the best. Now, we agonize, worry, project our warped sense of interspection into the mix and forget to just go with the flow, live for the moment and have a little hope/wishful thinking/positive energy. Thank you for reminding my inner child to take control and go for it!!!
I love your son's lesson that
I love your son's lesson that keeping a happy, optimistic attitude when faced with failure helps makes success inevitable. Wonderful story!
If we all had the mindsets of
If we all had the mindsets of little kids, we wouldn't be so hard on ourselves about life. I like to credit my optimism to God. I'm a believer, strong in faith. When things go wrong, I hand it over to him, and he has not failed me. Even those who aren't believers or strong in him, should find a medium where they realize they are fortunate to be in their present state. There's always a rainbow after the rain and life should be enjoyed-not feared. It's all about being thankful, counting your blessings, and realizing there is a reason to move on. I like how Aaliyah sung it, "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again." Don't know if these were her original words but I like the message. So, I encourage everyone to do as Vivienne advises-dust yourself off and try again.
This is a wonderful article.
This is a wonderful article. Sometimes it is hard to be optimistic--especially when you've seen the other possible outcomes first hand in past experiences. I like that you stated that it is seeing/expecting the positive outcome. When you reach for the moon, you land among the stars...
Great thought for the day and
Great thought for the day and so true. Having optimism is such an important factor in life. It is very easy to get discouraged by setbacks. It really is a matter of thinking positively and continuing to press toward your mark. Your path may vary from what you initially outlined but if you continue with the same passion and energy you will reach your destination.
@BethLacy what you are
@BethLacy what you are reading sounds awesome and is very true. I would love to check that out.
@LuckeyMommie"When you bring the positive energy, others want to join the part." I like that!
@cros2157, Thank you. My son is quite the little character. I'll be sure to share more stories about him.
@Faith Allen, That song was a favorite of mine and something I used to connect with my students. And "...realizing there is a reason to move on," is absolutely necessary.
@Mrs. Thompson, Thanks for sharing that quote. I think its connects perfectly. "When you reach for the moon, you land among the stars."
@Dr. Hale it is so important to realize that your path my change. There are many roads that lead to the same destination.
you are gonna make an
you are gonna make an optimist out of me yet. Your words are so true. Often times I am a expect the best/prepare for the worst kind of person...I shouldn't even acknowledge the worst...because once I think of it, I dwell on it instead of focusing on the bright side of things....often times the "what if's" never even happen. All of that energy wasted could have been a more focused positive energy....a creative visualization. Good advice, Thanks!
If it were not for "positive"
If it were not for "positive" energy I would not know where my family and I would be today. I was trained all my life to "what if" and after so much turmoil in my life, I realized this can't be the right way to live. My mate also was trained with pessimistic thoughts pointed out to me that we were not doing something right and needed to fix it fast. So he bought me the one book that changed my life. He bought me a copy of ~Ask and it is Given~ by Jerry and Esther Hicks. (we each have our copy and study it on a regular) By us both being on the same page and practicing positive energy... our lives have changed in the direction we want. There are times when we have a set back but then we have one another there to remind the other of being aware of our thoughts. It is amazing how children can pick up on these things. Our 3 year old's favorite phrase is "I'm confident and do whatever I put my mind too, right daddy?". He also loves a song from one his favorite programs that says "keep trying, keeping never give up", he sings it all the time when he feels defeated. There many things in our life now that most people would think, how can we make it? Being Optimistic, practicing positive energy, love in our home and most important trusting God and the God in us... that is how we are doing it and that is how we live our lives.
Thank you for writing such a great piece.
I love it...messages like
I love it...messages like this are always wonderful to hear and even better when you know your friends feel similar to the way you do. It is definitely a choice to think positively about something but our society has ingrained it into people's minds that the negative is the default, which doesn't have to be the case. I think people choose the negative alternative simply because of fear. Refreshing blog post.