Throughout my life, I have been accused of being overly optimistic. Whether intended or not, I have always taken the comment as a compliment. The world has enough pessimism. Pragmatism has its place, especially in financial matters; however, it shouldn’t be the primary mode of being. All our great leaders have been idealists and/or romantics. Optimists are happier people. They tend to get more done and are more innovative. Optimists see unlimited possibilities and usually create the future of whatever field they inhabit. They see things others don’t see and view the world as full of opportunity.
Optimists are fun to be around. They tend to generate positive energy. They often believe in their friends and coworkers’ potential more than those people do. They are more likely to appreciate the successes of their peers because that is what they expect. You can usually count on their loyalty if you don’t try to judge them too harshly or feel it is your job to continually ground them in reality (which they only ever see as holding them back). Optimists only ever want good things for you and themselves. They appreciate that life is short, and time is a precious commodity.
The fact is that it is easier to be an optimist. There are still tough times and challenges, but they rarely seem insurmountable. Positive energy is difficult to keep down forever. While failure may be inevitable, it doesn’t have to define you or be your final result. There is always tomorrow, until there isn’t… and at that point, it won’t matter anyway. I realize that not everyone is hardwired to be an optimist, but they can still choose to be more optimistic in their lives and work. To a large extent, attitude and temperament are a matter of choice. If you find yourself struggling with the idea of being hopeful and optimistic, consider finding someone who is and spending time with them. You’ll find it hard not to catch some of their vibe and energy. Life tends to live up to our expectations…
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