Optimism: A tendency to take a hopeful view of things or to expect that results will be good.
Spring has landed in sunny South Africa! The starlings are chirpy at 4am now and the Forget-me-nots' fill the air with the most welcome scent when I leave in the mornings. Lets us not forget that the mosquitoes are on their way too, and the geckoes living inside my home are waiting to reap the bountiful harvest. I love the bright green sprouts on the trees and the pretty blossoms that greet me down the avenues on my way to work. Spring is truly a fresh time of year - and should we also not take a fresh outlook on life?
People have come to me explaining that the weather does something to their moods. They tend to become as miserable as the weather when it’s cloudy! While some studies do show a correlation between certain personality types and how their days are made or marred by the weather, I think that a positive outlook can certainly make a bad day seem better. I found this little saying today:
"Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress" Nicholas Murray Butler
Being an Optimist requires a certain level of emotional maturity. We cannot expect to operate in our "ego" state and demand that all things go our way. We have to accept that in life there are many things that are beyond our control, things that have to be accepted as such. Optimism demands of us to sift through the given circumstances and to find hope and positivity, in spite of the negative.
I read a biography of a young lady by the name of Natalie du Toit. In case you have never heard of her, let me elaborate a little. Natalie has always had a dream of winning a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games, in swimming, ever since she could remember. Swimming was her passion right throughout primary and half way through high school. You could say she was at the height of her swimming career, when an accident resulted in the amputation of the lower part of her leg. This came as quite a blow to her and the family, but her optimism, even while recuperating in hospital astounded those that came into contact with her. She was an inspiration to others then and still is today. Natalie has umpteen gold medals to her name – What an example!
This story is truly remarkable! A young woman with such courage, determination and wisdom beyond her years can teach us such a valuable lesson in optimism.Most of us as adults still do not "get it".
Dare we attempt to exercise our choice here? Our choice: to take a look at the day before us with hope and optimism
Spring has landed in sunny South Africa! The starlings are chirpy at 4am now and the Forget-me-nots' fill the air with the most welcome scent when I leave in the mornings. Lets us not forget that the mosquitoes are on their way too, and the geckoes living inside my home are waiting to reap the bountiful harvest. I love the bright green sprouts on the trees and the pretty blossoms that greet me down the avenues on my way to work. Spring is truly a fresh time of year - and should we also not take a fresh outlook on life?
People have come to me explaining that the weather does something to their moods. They tend to become as miserable as the weather when it’s cloudy! While some studies do show a correlation between certain personality types and how their days are made or marred by the weather, I think that a positive outlook can certainly make a bad day seem better. I found this little saying today:
"Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress" Nicholas Murray Butler
Being an Optimist requires a certain level of emotional maturity. We cannot expect to operate in our "ego" state and demand that all things go our way. We have to accept that in life there are many things that are beyond our control, things that have to be accepted as such. Optimism demands of us to sift through the given circumstances and to find hope and positivity, in spite of the negative.
I read a biography of a young lady by the name of Natalie du Toit. In case you have never heard of her, let me elaborate a little. Natalie has always had a dream of winning a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games, in swimming, ever since she could remember. Swimming was her passion right throughout primary and half way through high school. You could say she was at the height of her swimming career, when an accident resulted in the amputation of the lower part of her leg. This came as quite a blow to her and the family, but her optimism, even while recuperating in hospital astounded those that came into contact with her. She was an inspiration to others then and still is today. Natalie has umpteen gold medals to her name – What an example!
This story is truly remarkable! A young woman with such courage, determination and wisdom beyond her years can teach us such a valuable lesson in optimism.Most of us as adults still do not "get it".
Dare we attempt to exercise our choice here? Our choice: to take a look at the day before us with hope and optimism
