Does an optimist, hoping for a certain outcome, believe that the desired outcome is going to happen? Or does an optimist just believe that whatever is meant to be is going to happen, and what happens IS the best outcome, no matter how things seem?
I like to think of myself as an optimist, but I also don’t like to get my hopes up. Perhaps being an optimist, means always being able to see the bright side of things, no matter what happens. Maybe being an optimist, one just lets things happen, and sees the silver lining in everything that does happen.
Sometimes people see optimists as dumb “Pollyanna” type characters who don’t face life with realistic views. I wonder if there is a middle ground character between optimists and pessimists. I guess the middle characters would be considered to be “neutralists.” These are the people who hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. They never get too high with the highs, and too low with the lows.
Then there are the spiritualists that tell us to stay away from duality. They say that there really isn’t “good” or “bad”. Things just are. Life just is. These spiritualists say that it is our stories and perspectives that we place upon events, that turn these events into epic stories of good versus evil. They tell us to try to live our lives by just experiencing it, without judging it.
“Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.
To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”
― Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them