At times, I find it extremely difficult to be optimistic. I don't think that I was particularly born optimistic and even when things aren't going that bad, I tend to think about the worst possible outcomes ever. Maybe this is my way of coping with situations in life: don't expect anything too great so that when things really do go bad, you won't be that upset. But at the same time, I don't like having people worry about me because they think I'm upset, so I try to have a smile on my face and try to stay as optimistic as possible. That's when I found this quote...
"It's not the tools that you have faith in - tools are just tools. They work, or they don't work. It's people you have faith in or not. Yeah, sure, I'm still optimistic I mean, I get pessimistic sometimes but not for long."
-Steve Jobs
The people around me, my friends, family, 1A classmates:), they are the ones that make me want to stay optimistic about everything. It's not just my ego telling me to put a smile on my face because I don't want people to see me upset. The people I talk to everyday and comfort me, they spread their smiles and keep me going. Sure, I still get pessimistic at times and think that everything is going wrong, but optimism really can be the key to solving some problems, especially when you have trouble moving forward. When I moved to Japan about four years ago, my friend from the States left me with a message. "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." These words have kept me going when I had the hardest time getting used to life in Japan, and they still encourage me to keep my chin up when times get rough. I was able to realize that optimism isn't a characteristic that you can maintain by yourself; it is the people around you that help you stay optimistic and I am truly thankful that I have people like that in my life:)
Your friends words are so inspiring!! I`d like to keep that with me too;)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, most times optimism don`t simply come from the inside. On the most part it`s the whole vibe that people creates that can push you forward, and eventually chase you to spread a little heads up spirit of your own. Like your friend though, if that person had such an powerful impact in instilling a positive attitude in you, that one person alone is enough to change you I think:)
Megumi,
ReplyDeleteActually, I think you're way of thinking is effective. Tim Ferriss, a guy that's written three books that have changed my life, refers to it as practical pessimism. Visualizing the worst possible outcomes and planning what to do when that happens leads to sustained optimism. I think that this is also mentioned in Dale Carnegie's "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living".
You can check out a short 5 minute presentation by Tim Ferriss here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwosCDOwRHQ
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