One time in high school I had a teacher go around and ask us if we were an optimist or a pessimist. Some of the class said optimist, while most of the class said pessimist. When it came to my turn I thought I was clever by saying I was neither. I was a realist, because I believed that I saw everything in a more practical view. Nothing ever too positive where I was naive and nothing ever too negative where I was a downer. Most of the class was impressed with this answer. My teacher was not. He said you could not be a realist. I was perplexed when he explained you can only be one or the other. I am a very neutral person and if the option is the middle I choose the middle, but now I was not sure what I was.
It took me about a year into my first year of college to realize my teacher was right. You have to be one or the other. Being realistic is the safe way to go. It is basically a way to avoid getting your hopes up and end up being disappointed. That may sound appealing and like it’s the right way to go, but it is not.
I am not trying to tell you how to live, but I have found that having a positive mindset is way better. They say you get what you put out, so by putting out negative energy or even being too realistic, you're not going to get the magic or passion. Why bother approaching a situation and expecting the worst thing to happen? Will that save you from disappointment? Maybe, but it also might make you a nervous wreck about everything and end up stealing your happiness.
Doubting everything and looking at the glass half empty will never make you happy. Is it easy to be positive about everything? No. With life, though, we have to keep looking forward and keep our face toward the light to stay happy. Look for the beauty and magic in everything. Give more than you think you should instead of holding back because you’re worried that you will not get the same in return. Not everyone will love the same way you do, but does that mean you should be any less generous or loving toward people? No, it does not.
A simple way to start making your days better is to change your way of thinking. Try to not say one negative thing. No seriously, do not say one negative thing about anything. You can think it if you must, but do not say it out loud. Try that for a week and see how your world changes.
Life is a beautiful thing and it should not be taken for granted. Do not depend on people or things to make you happy. Unfortunately, everything in this world is temporary. Friends come and go, things are just things, a job title at the end of the day will not love you. No one can truly make you happy, but yourself. Create your own happiness, a way to do that is to see the good in everything.
Do not be afraid of life. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Go after your dreams with every ounce of effort and passion that is in your body. Nothing will happen in life if you do not imagine it, so imagine wonderful things for your life and put those thoughts out into the universe. You might be surprised how many of those things will come true.
Choose your perspective. Choose Positivity. Choose Happy.
