Take a second and give some thought to the conversations you had with the people you came into contact with today, and tell me how many of them focused on negative items in their life, their job or maybe just the world in general. On Tuesdays, when possible, I have lunch with a group of good friends. When we met for our last luncheon gathering I was sitting in the middle of the table, which allowed me to hear conversations at both ends of the table. While much of what was shared was just regular back and forth banter, several of the conversations seemed to dwell on everything that is wrong with our current state of affairs. During these conversations, I didn’t hear anything positive or encouraging, only the negative and statements that would lead you to believe that their lives and our world were on a downward spiral.
Now go back and think about the conversations you heard today; did others share stories or experiences that were upbeat, that created a bright picture of their lives, and if so, how did their stories make you feel? How did their positivity and optimism affect you? In my case, when I hear people share stories regarding the beautiful and exciting things that happen in their lives it fills me with a sense that as a society we have the strength to accomplish great things by knowing that there will always be a way to succeed if we remain positive in our attitude to the world around us.
Give some thought to the following quote by Helen Keller; “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Here is a woman born deaf and blind who overcame these severe deficits and became one of our greatest humanitarians. I am sure that in her early life, she experienced setbacks and at times felt like giving up; but her life story is not about her giving up, it is how her positive attitude and optimism set her up as an example how we can overcome our deficits if we learn to look at the world and others among us in a positive light.
Take a look at those around you, and give thought to how you view and interact with others. William Ward states, “When we seek to discover the best in others, we bring out the best in ourselves.” Share your optimism and your hope in others, and watch how that optimism and positivity will bring out the best in you and those around you. If we start looking at the world around us with a sense of optimism, we just might find our world a happier place to be.