On Optimism

Optimism gets a bit of a bad rap at times. There are unfavorable stigmas attached to those who prefer to look at the brighter side of life. At best, they are called idealists, and at worst they are labeled naïve. Quite honestly, this bothers me. I would be the last person to force my views on others, but I encourage a more favorable look at these optimists.

Optimism is not the enemy of realism. It is not the belief that everything WILL turn out well in the end. It is the hope that it COULD turn out well in the end. I’ll be honest. I am the type who does not like to accept defeat and who does not like to quit. I will hold on to the slightest glimmer of hope that things will go my way in the end. That said, when it comes to long-shots, I do not expect success in the end. I merely refuse to give up until all hope is lost.

Case-in-point: For the past four and a half years I have been interested in someone who, without going into a great measure of detail, is unavailable. It has not been easy, but there have been glimmers of hope. Because of that, I have not given up. Many people close to me think I’m crazy for it or think I’m being unrealistic. It’s not that, though. I don’t wake up every morning expecting for things to change. I fully realize (to borrow from Tom Petty) I’m runnin’ down a dream that may never come to fruition. That is okay. I would rather give everything I can and lose than give up when something looks improbable. I believe nothing’s over until it’s over.

I find life to be more enjoyable when looking on the brighter side. It’s no fun to feel perpetually defeated. Hope makes life significantly more palatable. Sure, things might not be better tomorrow. In fact, they might be worse. But there is hope that things will turn around tomorrow, and it is that hope that keeps me going. The idea that better is possible is enough to keep me going.

There is a belief that optimistic people are naïve and therefore get hurt more often and more easily. That is partly true. One of the most common side effects of hope is disappointment. We hold out for something, but more often than not, it doesn’t happen. That’s the reality of life. Our hearts are a bit more fragile. But I am fine with that. It is not naïveté. I know that hope leaves me more susceptible to disappointment, but it’s a tradeoff I am willing to make. One hoped-for success is more powerful to me than a thousand disappointments. I would rather hope and hurt than never hope and feel defeated all the time.

I like to look at life positively. That doesn’t make me Lloyd Christmas. I do try to find the best in things. I don’t that things will be great, but every day I wake up with the notion that they can be. I believe in staying strong and never giving up. Care to join me?