Optimistic?

How are you feeling, today?  I had coffee with a grade school friend of mine.  We agreed.  We’re optimistic about America’s future – when, that is – the younger generations are in charge and fix what we Baby Boomers broke.  And if our young people aren’t up to the task: 

We hope that when the insects take over the world they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics. 

Bill Vaughan 

Not everyone is optimistic, true?  It’s OK.  That strikes a balance, and balance is good: 

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society.  The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute. 

George Bernard Shaw 

It’s a mindset.  Some of us are “wired” to look on the bright side; others, no so much.  Here’s a test from Beverly Kaye: 

What does this say?

     OPPORTUNITY ISNOWHERE

The optimists among you read, Opportunity is now here!

The pessimists see, Opportunity is nowhere.

Still others of you are pretty sure it says, 

     Opportunity I snow here (and we'd like to meet with you later...) 

Those snow hounds!  Optimism through and through, HaHa!

With today’s headlines, it can be challenging to remain optimistic.  We seem to be surrounded with negatives; negative social media, negative news, negative weather reports.  In the face of all this negativity, how do we remain optimistic?  Should we even try? 

Elizabeth Scott, PhD, wrote in this article for VeryWell.com, “How to Recognize and Respond to Pessimism”: 

Pessimists are often better prepared for tough times and may avoid risks that more optimistic thinkers might ignore. Research has shown that pessimists tend to foresee obstacles more readily since they expect things to go wrong, meaning that they are more likely to plan for difficulties. 

We’re, “…planning for difficulties” alright! 

Even so, I prefer to gravitate to the optimistic side.  Maybe it’s an outcome from my career: 

A good business manager hires optimists as salesmen and pessimists to run the credit department. 

Unknown Sage 

Whatever your personal perspective, sales, credit department, it’s OK.  We need aeroplanes and we need parachutes, too. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.