Confessions of an Optimist!

Happy and hopeful are not necessarily synonymous. You can be sad and yet hopeful...AND you can be happy yet pessimistic. 

I am happy AND optimistic!

So what am I confessing here that is so terrible, sinister, or taciturn? The confession is that ...are you ready?...(looking around suspiciously)...(getting closer to you)...(whispering)...YOU, too, can be happy and optimistic.

(LOUDLY) WHAT!?

That’s right, I said it...YOU, too, can be happy AND optimistic!

How?

Well, it’s not always going to be a bed of roses.

(You) Wait a minute, that sounds pessimistic to me.

(Me) Nope...NOT pessimistic. Pessimism is the tendency to believe that the worst will happen or that you have no confidence in future events.

When I say that it won’t always be a bed of roses, that just means that there will be trials, obstacles, or even impassable walls on your road to wherever you are going. But if you look at the journey as an adventure, whatever it is, even if you hit those trials, obstacles, or impassable walls, you can still know that the end is possible!

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Example:

When I had just graduated from high school, I was informed by my dad that if I didn’t get a job, that he would get one for me. Now, since my dad was a construction engineer and all the jobs that he had gotten me in the past were hard labor construction jobs, I told him that I would do it on my own.

Since I was keen on becoming a professional entertainer, yet needed a job that was somewhat steady and reliable, I decided to become a singing telegram messenger.

That’s right, you heard me...a singing telegram messenger.

So I went down to the local singing telegram messenger employment agency and I filled out an application and had the interview...which went something like this:

“So...can you sing?”

“Yes.”

“Are you funny?”

“Yes.”

“Are you willing to dress up in a silly costume and go to places you’re not familiar with and sing and dance in front of people?”

“Yes.”

“O.K. Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

Dang it! I didn’t like the sound of that last sentence. But I walked out of the office and I remained optimistic that they might call me.

Who was I kidding? I had to do something if I wanted to get the job.

So I worked up a song and dance routine, got dressed in a silly costume and went back down to the singing telegram messenger employment office. 

I was scared to death!! What was I doing? They already turned me down. I stood outside the door to the office for quite a while working up the courage to do this thing, but I finally said, “I gotta do this,” and I tripped in the door and landed on the floor (on purpose). There were a lot of people in the room, all now staring at me.

Someone said, “Are you here to audition?”

I said, “Yes,” and I went into my routine.

After I finished, they hired me on the spot.

That’s right...I got the job!

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I learned 2 things that day:

1- Even if you’re optimistic, you still have to plug away at what you long for to get the desired outcome. It doesn’t always just come to you.

2- You don’t have to be nervous about what other people think. 

All my auditions since that day have been less scary and less stressful because of this experience. Fear often keeps people from doing what they want to do. 

There were many times when I did NOT get gigs, even if I had GREAT auditions, but I was always optimistic that more opportunities would come along. And they always have.  On top of that, there have been times when I hit a wall and I didn’t get a particular gig. But it was usually for the best because then an even better gig came along! So even if you don’t get your desired outcome, it could be because something even better is waiting for you.

How’s that for optimistic?

That has been part of my journey. I am optimistic, too, because I know that the end of my journey is going to be grand. It is for you, too! I know it!

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There are people out there who are pessimistic on purpose...and they hate optimists. Don’t let them pull you down. 

Stay away from their bad vibes. 

Be in a place that promotes happiness and positive energy.

Then YOU, too, can be happy AND optimistic!

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