I'm not an optimist, I'm a realist. I see opportunities where others see roadblocks because the roadblocks made me turn, and oh, hey! Something new, interesting and different was around the bend. Others see change on the horizon and prepare for battle, I open my arms, because, well, change is the only constant in life that I'm aware of.
I really don't understand pessimism. Pessimists- I'd like to ask you a few things, because, frankly, I just don't get it. What are you making better about your life, or the lives of others, by being so negative? I actually don't know the answer to that question, and I'd love some enlightenment. Do you feel better about yourself because you sound smarter and more jaded than the average, possibly happy human being? Is that it? A kind of self-congratulatory moment of victory? I understand that premise. Do you feel better about yourself because you've torn down someone who seemed to be actually happy about your situation? If so, what have you really accomplished by this? Or, more insanely, do you not feel any better at all about anything, but simply accept that the world is awful, and there is nothing you can do? If this is the case, dear god, why? Seriously? Do you not realize that you're the master of your own fate? Is this a crazy concept?
Breakfast in these colors isn't a crazy concept (it's just delicious). Which is nuts. So...
Your choices and attitude affect your life. I know I'm not the first person to ever say that. If you decide to see the positive in situations, instead of the negative, you will feel better about situations. This can become a practice. Or, simply, see the real in situations instead of hyper-dramatizing them. That helps too. Also, change will happen whether you want it to or not. So, you might as well figure out how to make the best of that change.
I'm ranting, I know. Sorry. But, I just don't get it. Pessimism is the most toxic, nasty thing in the world. It destroys wonderful people. It takes beautiful, lovely, intelligent human beings and turns them into snarky, nasty, depressed zombies. Pessimism is tragic. It kills. I'm baffled as to why people choose to engage in it so often.
Especially when we could just laugh it off over some tea...
I don't even call myself an optimist. Others do. I call myself a realist, because this is the way I really see the world. For example, I think that all people are inherently good, and generally have good motives, mostly because this has been proven through numerous studies. It's science, kids. We think people are out to get us, but most people aren't out to get us. The majority of people don't really care what we do, and some actually want to, *gasp* help us. Genuinely, help us. People are jerks, yes, but, like you when you are an jerk, they often have good reasons. Sometimes, they don't. Sometimes you don't, and sometimes I don't. I guess we're both out to get them too? We all have good moments and bad moments. This is true. Some people have more bad moments than others, and some have more good moments than others. The only thing this proves is that we're all human.
And humans built the Flatiron Building, which, look at it! It's so pretty!
The world really is great, and humanity has done a lot of great things. We can romanticize the past or the future, or fiction, or whatever we want, but in the end, we live in the now. What's happening at this moment. The strand of hair I'm pushing out of my face, the keys underneath my fingers. The air currently in my lungs. Now. Humanity has done a lot of bad things too, and will continue to do so. This is true. But, the ones who do these good and bad things are me and you. Us. The humans. The parts of humanity. And if we look at the world and think that it's awful, we are less likely to care about where it's going, because, whatever, it's already in the crapper. If we look at the world and see something wonderful, magical, and worth saving, we are probably going to care about it. This applies for everything- other people, animals, plants, ideas, concepts... It's the reason everyone wants to save the baby seals and no one really cares about endangered insect species. The seals are cute and obviously wonderful, so more of us care. It's harder to care about the bug because seeing its endearing qualities is more difficult.
Unlike these endearing, pretty buildings. Whee!
This world isn't a bug, though; it's already a seal (flowers, puppies... come on...) and most people are seals too. People are beautiful, and worth it.
You're beautiful, and you are worth it. Stop deciding that you aren't with that powerful pessimism force. Stop it. Stop it right now. Let yourself be beautiful. Let yourself win. Let yourself acknowledge your own worth. Let yourself shine. Stop being scared. Stop letting the world tell you that it can't be done.
If we all do this, maybe the whole world will shine a little bit brighter. You never know until you try. What have you got to lose?
