Optimism

 

There are two types of people in the world: the ones who see a problem and think, Well, that’s it. We’re doomed, and the ones who see the same problem and say, alright, let’s figure this out. The difference between them? Optimism. It's not something fluffy that individuals just adopt in order to feel good about themselves—it's an underlying way of looking at the world, one that actually affects how we react to whatever life throws at us. Most importantly, it's the distinction between individuals who create things, and those who allow things to happen to them.

Some people think about optimism and automatically dismiss it as having your head in the clouds. That it’s not realistic. But true optimism isn't about pretending the world is fine when it's not. It's about examining a situation, looking at it hone
stly, and trusting that even when it is terrible, even when it is not fair, even when it is impossible to resolve, there is nonetheless a way out. It's not blind positivity; it's not giving up on letting negativity be the answer.

That refusal to give up is what differentiates people. Optimism powers resilience. When a pessimist fails, they look at evidence that they weren't good enough, that their ideas were stupid, that attempting was a waste of time to start with. An optimist looks at the same failure and says, Okay, that didn't work. What do they do next? They don't let failure stop them—they utilize it. They learn from it. They move on, because hope still exists.

And the thing is—optimism really works. Why? Because what you anticipate from life has an impact on how you experience it. If you think things are going to go wrong, you unconsciously put less effort in. Why try? You hold back. But if you think there is a chance of success, you try harder. You fight longer. You take the odds, whatever they may be. Optimistic people don't deny reality—they create it.

Life won't always work out as intended, of course. Occasionally, things will go awry. Optimism doesn't prevent bad things from occurring, but pessimism doesn't as well. All that negativity does is cause you to feel defeated before you even try to do it.

Therefore, when forced to choose between expecting the worst and hoping for something better, optimism is always the better wager. It's not being unrealistic. It's seeing that in every failure, in every setback, in every instance of doubt, there is always a possibility—a possibility worth pursuing. And those who pursue it? They're the ones who make everything different.