The Art of Optimism

There is an art involved in learning to think positively about life.

Not an art like the paintings and refined sculptures one might see in a gallery or museum.

No, this is the art of thinking in a certain way. And this thinking is often gritty, blurry and messy. But in the end, the finished work is beautiful.

Like any art, it takes time to nurture the skill required to make it good. The mindset of optimism is one that is developed. One that takes a lot of effort, since so much negativity comes our way daily.

Not that this mindset ignores the negative events and circumstances that occur in life.

Instead, this mindset doesn’t allow negativity to take root and become the predominant point of view.

I’ve lived enough years now to know some things to be true. And one true thing is that things work out for better or for worse. They just do. No matter how much angst or grief I spent mulling over this or that terrible thing, eventually what happened was I needed to act. And I did. And when I acted, things unfolded as they should. The worry precipitating the action may have played a part in spurring me on. But what I’ve learned is that the worry isn’t necessary for the action. Understanding is.

Once I understood the reasons this or that occurred, or how I could remedy the issue, worry subsided. With worry out of the way, it made room for optimism.

Optimism made the outcome bearable.

When you understand what’s happening, you regain your footing. Then, you can name the real problem. You can separate what’s within your control from what isn’t. You can identify the next best step. And once that happens, worry loses oxygen.

This must be one of the most underrated life skills: learning to convert anxiety into insight.

Sometimes that insight comes from asking better questions:

• What’s the actual issue here?
• What’s the real need?
• Is there a part of this I can influence?
• What’s one action I can take now?

That’s the optimism that makes outcomes bearable. It doesn’t guarantee life will be easy. But it keeps life from feeling too hard to manage.

January 19^th is the annual commemoration of Martin Luther King’s birthday. It’s a day of reflection on his life and the good he accomplished in the brief span of 39 years. He was a man who knew well the effects of negativity, and despite it all, aimed to reflect an optimistic view of what the future could be.

If anyone mastered the art of optimism it was MLK.

I reflect on what he said about time:

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

These few words are a powerful call to action. And in this call, there is never a wrong time to choose the right path. Each moment and each day presents opportunities to make a difference. By continually making optimistic choices that reflect our values, we can inspire others to do the same.

Events are unfolding in our own localities, as well as across the nation, and around the globe. Tensions are high because of the ever-increasing amount of negativity and hostility in the world. The perfect recipe for a worry concoction.

As an individual, I ask, what am I going to do about it?

Together, we can ask: what will we do about it?

The antidote to worry is action.

1. Name the worry.
2. Seek understanding.
3. Take the smallest useful action.
4. Let optimism grow in the space worry used to occupy.

Because the truth is, action doesn’t require worry. It requires clarity. And clarity makes room for optimism, the kind that can carry you, even when the world and life feel heavy.

If you’ve learned a way to keep negativity from taking root, I’d love to hear it. What helps you return to optimism when life tries to pull you under?

Until next time,

(c) Marc Townsend