Determined Optimism

Hard times come and go.  If they are really bad, then they linger longer than they should.  Good times come and go as well, but I can’t say things are that bad, yet.  I have a family that loves me (most of the time), and a solid education, which many don’t have the fortune of having.  Food and gas are expensive lately, but I can still afford a good meal and ice cream on Wednesdays when waffle cones are 99 cents at TCBY.  No, I can’t say things are that bad, yet.

Some days I still pout about petty things.  I don’t mean to, but it still comes out.  I can’t control what each new day brings me, and really, I don’t want to control what life throws my way.  Life would be less exciting without spontaneity.  I’m willing to take the chance on life that things will balance out for the good in the end.  Even if they don’t, I’ll remember the good times more than the bad.  I can control how I receive each day, and I can control my attitude.  There’s a “silver lining” with every lousy situation, but it’s not obvious most of the time – finding it is a challenge and a reward.

Determined optimism doesn’t mean that you are happy about things in a superficial way.  And it doesn’t mean that you look on the bright side when it’s convenient.  It’s a mindset that makes you thankful for everything that comes your way and makes you look at each moment as an opportunity because that’s what all moments are: opportunities.  Determined optimism is an appreciation of life for its genuineness and not its pleasantness.  Life is worth living, and there’s no replacement for it.  It’s infinitely unique, and I’m determined to be optimistic about it, even when things are bad.