Get Out Of Bed

"In these times you have to be an optimist to open your eyes when you awake in the morning." -Carl Sandburg

Today I picked up a few local papers here in London and the headlines are not good. There are antibiotic-resistant infections spreading through Europe. The fashion world is stunned by a high-fashion robbery. We see mass arrests at Occupy protests and the U.N. Nuclear chief says we "must alert the world" about Iran.

There is so much going on that we can become overwhelmed by it all. An old saying that the world is "going to hell in a hand basket" feels so real to many people. At times we would prefer to remain hidden under the covers of our bed. Maybe if we just sleep in longer, all of the turmoil will pass.

It is redundant to say this, but the world has been going "to hell in a hand basket" since the beginning of time. There is always some issue, some disaster, something bad to report about. The fact is that we are going through a tough time right now and all of our senses are heightened.

What makes it even more profound this time and each time a down period occurs, is that bad news sells. As an example, take this article discussion from 2007 by David Blanchard. In it, the headline in question paints a gloomy forecast. But the actual news is rather positive. Lenna Gonya writes that "...while these stories may sell, they don’t do much to improve our moods, our depression, or our outlook on life. More than ever, people are discovering that they are less and less optimistic about life, and the news may be a contributing factor."

Do not get me wrong, there are a lot of bad things happening in the world today. But most surely there are a lot of good things happening out there as well. We need to understand that goodness does exist and that "getting out of bed" is a good and great thing. There are a lot of good things going on in life that we need to focus on.

Yes, we have to be mindful and concerned of the hardships that exist. But we can not allow that type of thinking to rule the day. If we do, clean water will cease to exist, nations will destory each other, cancer will never be defeated and the universe will never be understood.

Possibility exists in our hopes and dreams. It exists in the optimism that greater things can happen in our lives and the lives of others. Possibility exists and that my friends is the good news.

A Glass

"Optimists find joy in small things. They enjoy sunsets, a good conversation with a close friend; and they enjoy life in general. They are more concerned with having many small joys rather than having one huge joy." -Robert M. Sherfield

Not too long ago, I read an article written by Jane Pauley in which she writes how she does tend to be a 'doubter' as opposed to an optimist. She indicates that if she could choose, she would choose to be an optimist. And she really kind of thinks that she is more of a realist as opposed to being a pessimist.

My thought is that a pessimist believes the grass is dry and dead. An optimist believes the grass is always lush and green. The realist simply knows where the fence is that divides the patches of earth. I believe you can be a optimistic realist, which means there can be pessimistic realists as well. So I choose the optimistic side of the fence.

I guess what this gets down to is do you fret over the little obstacles in life? Do you wait and wait, worrying until the time is perfect to get past these obstacles? After all is said and done, most experts agree that once you have gathered information and mulled it over for some amount of time, just do something.

So here I am telling you to just do something, but it takes a positive attitude to give you that courage. The optimist is more likely to jump in the boat, oars in hand and try. A pessimist is unlikely to give it the old 'trial and error' college try.

In order to try and think more positively, here are three tips:

1. Give Thanks: Terry Paulson, Ph.D., author of The Optimism Advantage: 50 Simple Truths to Transform Your Attitudes and Actions into Results, says to tell others what you're grateful for. When you share positively, the whole energy of your attitude changes.

2. Keep Moving: Moods can spiral downward, therefore you need to stay physically and mentally active according to Margie Warrell, author of Find Your Courage: 12 Acts for Becoming Fearless at Work and in Life.

3. Focus Forward: If you set lofty goals, they improve your outlook in life. Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., and author of Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. He recommends to live in the future with short- and long-term goals to keep yourself positive.

The glass can be whatever you want it to be. Just keep filling it each day with good things, good thoughts and a good life; your best life.

Enthusiastic Optimism

"Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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.

Optimistic Belief

Titled "One in a sea of many..."

"I'm an optimist, but an optimist who carries a raincoat." -Harold Wilson

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Main Entry: op·ti·mism
Pronunciation: \ˈäp-tə-ˌmi-zəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: French optimisme, from Latin optimum, noun, best, from neuter of optimus best; akin to Latin ops power — more at opulent.
Date: 1759
1 : a doctrine that this world is the best possible world.
2 : an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome.

It seems to be the 'half glass empty or half full' argument when talking about optimism or pessimism. I happen to be more optimistic in most things that I do. Although I wrap it in common sense, knowing when an outcome isn't 'in the cards.' Interestingly enough, being optimistic and not achieving what was first sought has placed me in a position to achieve other unexpected things.

Can being more positive, more optimistic about things impact your life? In an article by Anne Bradley, she states the following the nine benefits.

BENEFITS of OPTIMISM that You Can Have in Your Life

1. Achieve more in any task or goal
2. Higher level of Contentment and Life Satisfaction
3. Better Health
4. More Friends
5. Continued Optimistic Outlook
6. "Life is Good"
7. Feeling of Control over Life
8. Handle Life's Big and Small Problems Better
9. Easier to make decisions without anxiety

Are all of the above guaranteed? Absolutely not, even the pessimistic possibilities in life are not guaranteed to happen to you. So why spend your life worrying about what could go wrong? Mix in the idea that things can go right in your life. Believe in goodness because it happens a lot more then you give it credit for happening.

Spring Is Near

We are approaching the end of a winter season in the northern hemisphere. The spring of a new season is coming quickly. Maybe not quickly enough for some and the 'weather man' may contradict it. Yet spring is coming as sure as time continues on.

Doug Larson, an English middle-distance runner who won gold medals at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris said, “Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” It is this optimism that brings you through the rough times. It strengthens you to take full advantage of the better times that await.

When we wallow in despair and anger, we weaken our mind and body. If this carries over into those times when life isn't quite so bad, then we are not in a position to take advantage of opportunity. Keep your head up, work through the coldness of winter and prepare for the spring of a new life.

Change will occur with the coming season. As you see buds of new opportunity, ready your mind and attitude to change with it. There will be great things happening for you when you create movement this coming spring time.