Optimism: The Art of Masking Imagine being late, your car stops, and you are missing important things that you will need for work in less than twenty minutes. Everyone has had those unlucky moments that usually continues to get even worse. In most cases, this one bad day could lead to many other bad situations and causes a lot of people to become unhappy or angry at everyone. These people lack what is called optimism. Optimism is hopefulness or confidence for a successful outcome of something. What I believe as opposed to the dictionary definition is that optimism has many different definitions and meanings behind it. Optimism is more about masking, forgetting bad moments, being happy, confident, and learning how to make others more optimistic. …show more content…
Then in return when the bad moment does come along then it is even worse for that person. Everyone has heard of the phrase “Look at the bright side…” Which leads to my next step in optimism, keeping a happy attitude when the toughest situations occur. This may seem like a very hard task to do, and it will not work all the time but it can help. One day I went into work after a big argument with a loved one. I then went into work and did my work without showing how mad I was. My co-workers neither could I explain how I had done it. I still wonder to this day how I was able to pull it off. Then I noticed that it was because I knew that there was going to always be a brighter side. The brighter side did come and that is what kept me focused and working hard during that time. Being strong enough to handle anything that you face causes happiness to come easier when really bad things happen. This is important because no one is perfect and we will always have big challenges to face starting from the problems in the past to the ones in our unpredictable future. The biggest step for people to take is learning how to deal with them and to get over every situation. When a bad situation occurs the first thing to do is to be more optimistic and worry about the good things that may come because of …show more content…
The best example of this in my life is that I have a woman with whom I am currently working with and a guy who had left for two months and came back. The woman that I work with is usually unhappy and never smiled and she is also taking antidepressants to get over her sad and lonely days. The boy that came back from the two months told her she seemed much happier and much more different than before he had left two months ago. The lady looked at me and she said” I think it is because Jasmine started working here and she is making me happier”. This was a very happy moment for me because I had not only made myself an optimistic person but I shared what I learned with others. I was able to be her friend, make her smile, and had done favors for her and gave her advice every time I would work with her. The most important person in someone’s’ life are themselves, but I believe as an optimistic person, everyone should deserve to be just as important. Being optimistic or cheerful around other people helps them and myself become a better person, while also ensuring that the people around you can be happy (to make a great environment for yourself) as
In the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest optimism can be found in the quote “my head is bloody, But unbowed” (2). This show how no matter what negative thing happens in your life, no matter how bad it is you can always make something positive out of it. Optimism can also be seen in the quote “my unconquerable soul” (1). This shows how confident and positive he is about and is showing he puts the negative emotions to ret and just the positive rise and defeats the negative emotions. He only lets the positive in and lets the negative stay outside so nothing can conquer his soul. He thanking the Gods for his "unconquerable soul...
Having a positive outlook can be very important when being involved in a conflict or trying to solve one. This is how Anne Frank and Louise Ogawa from First Read: Dear Miss Breed got through the roughest times of their lives. They kept a positive outlook on things and tried to make the best of the worst. Just looking on the bright side, even if it feels like there isn’t one can make a huge difference. As a great thinker, such as Joyce Meyer, once said, ‘’A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances, having power over you’’. If they did not maintain a positive outlook, then who knows how they would have survived. Having a positive outlook gives you the strength to keeping going
Optimism is a hopefulness for the future. People who are optimistic generally expect the best from situations. Overall, optimists tend to be healthier than pessimists. Optimism can aid in maintenance of psychological health when faced with physical health problems. This claim is evident with Bob Salvini in the Young at Heart film. Bob, having looked death in the eyes multiple times, managed to pull through when the odds were against him. Bobs strong will and optimism for live and his situation helped him live happily for as long as he did, before he unfortunately died in May of 2006. While still in the ICU, Bob stayed positive and was determined to make the show in less than three weeks. Sadly, Bob passed away the night before the show (Walker & George,
Sometimes it is hard for me to be happy for others if something good is happening in their life, while mine is falling apart. However, by reminding myself that God has a plan for my life that probably will not match up with my own understanding; therefore, no matter what happens, I need to trust and believe he will make everything turn out well. This can also be applied to someone lying or betraying me. I try very hard to see the best in everyone and by realizing that God is working in everyone is in some way helping me see that this understanding is true.
My final reason to show that optimism helps us make a bad situation better by looking on the bright side is, when Andrew and his dad get breakfast, they buy donuts and milk. Andrew get a carton of juice sometimes. This is optimism because Andrew isn't complaining that he doesn’t get a carton of juice every day. He is still thankful that he gets breakfast. Therefore, Andrew is optimistic about his breakfast.
However, happiness also takes into account a wide range of other aspects of our lives, including our thoughts and actions, and even genetics. Therefore, happiness should be defined as the amalgamation of how we think and act, and how we interpret our experiences as positive or negative. What this means is that in order to become happier, we must simply force ourselves to become more optimistic. This is easier said than done, however. In order to have a noticeable increase in happiness, people must be willing to make lifestyle changes in addition to changing their mindset. However, the difference between optimism and delusion is a fine line, so people must be cautious to not exaggerate the positive parts of an experience or become overly optimistic. If we practice seeking out the positive views of our circumstances, with time we will find ourselves happier than
Optimism was an attractive to many because it answered a profound philosophical question: if God is omnipotent and benevolent, then why is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way out: God has made everything for the best, and even though one might experience personal misfortune, God (via your misfortune) is still helping the greater good.
Much like Joy from this story, I am determined to accomplish any goal I set my mind to. Although this task may take hard work and dedication, I am always ready for the challenge. “Never, Never, Never Give Up” is a quote by Winston Churchill that everyone should keep in mind. As we continue to persevere through hardships, never giving up is the best advice to tell yourself. Lately, I have been focusing on keeping others happy. Personally, I love the feeling that rushes through my body knowing I made someone feel Joy. Whether in the halls, at school, or at the grocery store in town, I try to find a way to make someone a happier person. However, I am not joyful all the time. Like everyone else, I have bad days and that’s what makes the good ones so enjoyable. Everyone is allowed to have a bad day, but how you handle that makes a big difference. Unlike Joy, I know when to back off and give someone else some space. If Joy wouldn’t have been so controlling over Sadness, they wouldn’t have gotten trapped away from Headquarters. I recognize situations like that and give the other person involved some space to react accordingly. If Joy can anticipate these situations, she can react differently and then the outcome could be different. Even though Joy tries to help in every situation, she is a vital part in keeping everyone happy which is the most important
Attitudes can determine on how someone’s day turns out, like if you have a positive attitude it can turn out to be a good day but with a negative attitude can turn out to be a bad day. In basketball Coach Mandy would always say, “A positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes.” Coach Mandy was completely right, she made practices fun and productive where the whole team was happy. Therefore when it came to games, not only were we having fun playing basketball, we were also winning games. When someone applies themselves to having a positive attitude at work will help them to deal with the unhappiest job. But when always showing up to work with a negative attitude already assuming it’s going to be a terrible day, it will. A positive attitude is also a chain reaction, which causes your co-workers to have a positive attitude. This can most defiantly improve the working environment with everyone’s positive attitudes. Must think positive in order to deal with an unhappy job to be successful in life and to move forward with their
In the sources of happiness the author had an example of a man who learned to live with the situation he was in. the article said, “ Just around the time that my friend was cashing in on her windfall profits, I had another friend of the same age who found out his HIV status was positive.”(Dalai Lama and Cutler 21)The man continues by saying that first he was devastated but later he was able to regain happiness and is even happier than he was before. This shows how as bad as the situation you should always just be happy to be alive and that no one has bad luck, everyone goes through hardships.(Dalai Lama and cutler 21) Also, comparing yourself to a different situation can help make yourself feel
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable is one example of how one's positivity can go a long way. Bruno, a little German boy, made a friend named Shmuel, who lives in a concentration camp. Bruno doesn't understand what's happening, but he makes Shmuel feel more positive about the situation he's in. “... I should have given you some chicken too. Are you hungry?” (StudySync, 386). Bruno doesn't know about the horrors Shmuel faces, and by offering Shmuel some chicken, he makes Shmuel feel more positive about his situation, and that some people are
Anne Frank, the young Jewish victim of the Holocaust, was extremely hopeful and tried to make the best out of what she had. For instance, this excerpt from her diary Kitty represents her ongoing positivity; "Up to now our bedroom, with its blank walls, was very bare. Thanks to Father -who brought my entire postcard and movie-star collection here beforehand -and to a brush and a pot of glue, I was able to plaster the wall with pictures. It looks much more cheerful.” (Frank 374). Instead of complaining about the horrid state the world is in or how scared she is, Anne Frank talks about how thankful that her father held a hold her collections beforehand. Another example of Frank's positivity would be about the clock; "Father, Mother, and Margot still can't get used to the chiming of the Westertoren clock, which tells us the time every quarter of an hour. Not me, I liked it from the start; it sounds so reassuring, especially at night" (Frank 374). She finds ways to flip everything around by considering the situation and finding a positive side to the circumstances at hand. Not only can optimism provide a sense of relief for others, but it even has it's own health benefits for oneself. Furthermore, “Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include: increased life span, lower rates of depression, lower levels of distress, greater resistance to the common cold, better psychological and physical well-being, better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, [and] better coping skills during hardships and times of stress” (Mayo Clinic Staff). Just remember that waking up on the right side of the bed can cause an overall happier and healthier
Exercise 1 Optimism refers to how an individual interprets and explains life’s events. If a situation turns out to be negative, the optimistic individual relates the outcome to external, unstable, out of one’s control and does not take it personally (Rana & Chadha, 2017). When outcomes are positive in nature, the optimistic individual believes it will occur again in the future relating the success to the individual’s attributions (Rana & Chadha, 2017). Whereas, the pessimistic person views a negative event as the result of personal factors, internalizes the failure and views positive events as pure luck (Rana & Chadha, 2017). Researchers believe that optimism can be learned.
Firstly, people who show an optimism bias feel more happy and satisfied with their life. These people are also more in control of and engaged in their life’s goal, they will not just think about happy thoughts and wait for life to pass, instead they will be engaged in a meaningful life and do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals. They are also less likely to give up on a difficult situation and will cope with it. These are people who will not wait for the rain to pass but who learn to dance in the rain in order to fulfil their life’s goal. Unrealistic optimism shows an increased well-being and happiness. With this increased well-being, unrealistically optimistic people are also more able to pick themselves up after a major life
These phycologists have wondered if there are more optimist or pessimists in the world. They have made an attempt to find out what approach is greater or better. There are some advantages to optimism because it makes people feel better about life, however, there are also some advantages to pessimism in that looking at the unfortunate side of things can help some pessimists cope better with the world. Both optimism and pessimism have important roles to play the lives of everybody. Being optimist permits people to go after their goals in a positive way, to dream bigger and better dreams, which they can strive to work towards. Optimist also tend to respond better to positive feedback, and a part of being an optimist may be producing this feedback for themselves, example, thinking positive thoughts. While on the other hand, being pessimistic may help people to better acknowledge negative feedback and reduce their natural anxiety to perform better. Once again, part of the reason why pessimist generates negative thoughts is that it helps them perform a lot better. People tend to utilize both optimism and pessimism in order for them gain out of their advantages. People who are mainly concerned with growth or advancement often manifest an optimistic view, whereas those who are concerned with safety and security, or avoiding negative outcomes, focus more on pessimism in order to improve their