Optimism
Chipper and Optimistic (or something like that)
Ever overthink something that happened for hours on end? Ever expect the worst-case scenario to occur “just to be safe?” Ever find yourself listening to sad songs, watching sad movies, and just soaking in your misery?
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Well, I know that I have. I’ve learned to become comfortable with sadness. I’ve even gone as far as making myself MORE sad, so I can sit in this dramatic state longer. And being sad is great. After a long, hard cry, I often feel refreshed and relaxed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being sad.
But! Is there a way to own your sadness while still knowing and expecting the world to be inherently good? Is there a way to be happy MOST of the time, while still allowing yourself to cry when it is needed? Is there a way to see the good in any bad situation, and then turn to focusing on solutions? I think there might be.
For a long time I’ve been intrigued by the concept of “looking at the cup half full”... no matter what. This doesn’t mean you turn a blind eye to the bad, you just reframe it to make life more enjoyable. I’ve never been particularly optimistic. I’d call myself more of a realist (with perhaps a bit of pessimism here and there.) And yet, something calls me to look into this chipper way of living. After all, when has a bit of positivity hurt anyone?
I guess we should begin by figuring out what optimism really is.
According to Oxford Languages, it is defined as:
“Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.” (Oxford Languages)
This is in contrast to pessimism which is defined as:
“A tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen; a lack of hope or confidence in the future.” (Oxford Languages)
So, according to these definitions, there is nothing that says optimists aren’t allowed to be sad. They don’t have to ignore the problems in their lives and just hope things get better. They can still be prepared and take precautions in advance, even if they are confident no problems will occur. They don’t even NEED to be jumping with joy at every waking moment (but hey, why not? If that’s your jam!) All optimism really is, at least from my understanding, is the knowledge that the best is yet to come, and everything always turns out alright in the end. That sounds pretty cool to me.
So HOW? Well, honestly I’ve been asking this of myself as well. In theory, optimism sounds perfect. But execution?! That might be a bit trickier.
I’ve developed a few tips below to get you started on your journey. Keep the ones that work and ditch the ones that don’t. We’re all different, so what works for one of us may not work for us all.
Ask yourself several times throughout the day what you’re happy about, and don’t take “nothing” as an answer. This forces you to center back into a positive mindset, and appreciate the things around you.
Always KNOW things get better. Facing an issue? Well, it's GOING to get resolved! Feeling down? Well soon you’re GOING to feel the best you’ve ever felt, so don’t stress. Overthinking a situation? Well everything happens for a reason and it's GOING to turn out fine, wait not fine, AMAZINGLY! You get the point, just approach every mucky situation with a positive outlook.
When you’re around negative people or hear people complaining, don’t be afraid to chime in with “hey, maybe that’s a bit harsh, I bet____!” Use your optimism as a gift to make people happier. You’re HELPING THEM by being positive. Oh, and if that’s too big of a leap, you can distance yourself from these people or make up an excuse to leave a “complaining sesh” to go somewhere more positive.
You can be sad and optimistic at the same time. Allow yourself time to grieve, mourn, and experience pain, while still being loving to yourself and optimistic. Use language like “right now I feel _____ but I know I will experience joy soon” or “it’s a shame _____ happened, but it doesn’t change my willingness to approach situations with joy and hopefulness.”
Virtual high five time! I KNOW you got this. Thanks for tuning in to TRUE, our next blog post will be up this coming weekend.
