Enthusiasm is brimming over the opening of a new hotel in the battle-scarred city of Sa'Ada, Yemen. As the folks cheerfully said, "We don't expect foreigners to visit now, but I think that if the situation stays stable, maybe they will come." I call that optimism at its ultimate test. I would also venture to guess that I am now on a government watch list for just searching the Internet on Sa'Ada, Yemen to figure out where it is located.
I found the story interesting because no matter where you are or what your circumstances are, there is always room to be optimistic. You build a hotel that has a high chance of being shelled into ruins, yet have the enthusiasm to believe foreign tourists will eventually arrive. You get up in the morning looking forward to a day that will produce great things in your life. Both take enthusiastic optimism to achieve.
The day might bring hardship but you keep moving forward. You keep optimism alive and push towards your goal. It takes enthusiasm to keep you moving forward and without it you might as well let the "shelling of the hotel" begin.
Would you call it rose colored glasses? I suppose you could, but if the glasses let you see possibility, then by all means wear them. Anything is possible if you simply look through the smoke and destructive obstacles in your life. See what can be and then pursue it enthusiastically; pursue it with enthusiastic optimism.
1 comment:
great Joe...love your blogs! i spent a year in yemen. they are an internally determined and hopeful people. i ate at a KFC (yes u heard that right) watching army trucks, tanks, cattle drives and goat herds pass by.
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