How an Optimist Sees it

“The optimist sees the opportunity in every danger; the pessimist see the danger in every opportunity.”

~Winston Churchill

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A man came home to find his young son in the backyard with a baseball bat and a ball. He was practicing his hitting by throwing the ball up in the air and then swinging at it.

"Watch me, Dad," the boy yelled to his father. "I can hit the ball a mile." The boy threw the ball up in the air, took a mighty swing ... and missed. "That's okay," said the boy. "It's only strike one. Watch this next one, because I'm going to knock the cover off the ball."

Again the boy tossed the ball up in the air, and missed "Strike two," the boy called out. "But that's okay. It only takes one good swing to hit it out of the park. And that's just what I'm going to do; you just watch Dad!"

With that, the boy carefully threw the ball up in the air, took his biggest swing yet…and missed it again. "Strike three!" he yelled. His father, quick to console his son, put his arm around his son and said “Son you can’t get a hit every time. The son smiled at his father and said, “I know that dad, I’m just glad that I’m a great pitcher.”

The boy represents the epitome of optimism. One definition of optimism is “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome.” In short, it is “looking for silver lining.” Some believe that the optimist is in denial; they live in a “Pollyanna” world. Nothing could be further from the truth. The optimist is aware that problems exist. However, they simply choose to believe that problems become opportunities. They understand that they will face hard times. But, they have a steadfast belief that whatever the problem is, they shall overcome. They acknowledge the negative, but focus on the positive. They too haven reasons to complain, but find a way to smile.

Being optimistic or pessimistic is a choice. It is all about attitude. You see, because optimists expect good, they constantly look for the good and eventually find it. Hence, the attitude is continually reinforced. When something bad happens to an optimist, they “look for the silver lining.” They know that the good is not likely to be evident right away; rather, it may take years before it is manifested. The optimist is diligent and patient. The storms clouds have to pass before the sun can shine. But, the sun will shine!

Research has shown that optimists achieve more and are healthier than pessimists. It takes a lot of mental energy to perpetuate a pessimistic state. “The sky is falling” philosophy of life generates negative emotions; such as worry, fear and, anxiety. These emotions elicit the stress response. The stress response, when chronically activated, wears down the body’s immune system, making a person more susceptible to illness and left feeling chronically fatigued. Charles Spurgeon said it best. "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Remember the difference between optimism and pessimism is determined by your thoughts. It is difference between positive thinking and negative thinking. Since you control your thoughts you are choosing whether you see the “glass as half empty or the glass as is half full.”

If you are a pessimist, today is the day to begin the transformation from negative thinking to positive thinking. Positive thinking will do so much more for you than negative thinking. If you are not convinced, try this exercise: take out a piece of paper and write down all of the benefits you derive from negative thinking. I’m pretty optimistic that you will not have much to write.

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It’s your life: Live it, Love it & Celebrate it!
MJD