Friday, July 13, 2012

Pessimist or Optimist?

It has been written that an optimist is someone who can fall ten stories and call out to each floor in passing that everything is OK so far.  My son-in-law falls (no pun intended) into that category.  Sam always sees the bright side of every situation which is a good balance to my daughter who tends to lean toward the opposite, more pessimistic view of life.  But it has also been said that an optimist refuses to see things sometimes as they really are.

It is far better to expect the worst and then be pleasantly surprised when things turn out better than expected, the pessimist believes.  This attitude avoids any disappointment in the results.  But this attitude is almost like backing into a room, not seeing the beauty that is in front of her only to find out that she has backed into an elevator shaft.

We would not advance in life, love, or discoveries if all we expect is the worse, and going outside that realm of expecting the worse some believe is only daydreaming.  But where would we be without those that were optimists?  Discoveries such as cures for diseases, man flying to the moon, our early settlers that continued to think that moving west would prove fruitful, none of those things would have occurred without some optimism, a dreamer, a doer. Only the optimist believes there are things waiting for discovery and development.
Optimists are aware that the cherries in life have pits, but they are prepared to remove those pits in order to enjoy the sweetness that surrounds them.   I love going to flea markets.  Fighting the crowds, the dust, the heat any of these would stop a pessimist from even considering the trip. Me, all I think about is what treasures I might discover.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist, or a little of both?  I think I fall into that "little of both" category.  I want to always think positively, but sometimes that doubt of pessimism creeps into my thoughts.  Try this exercise, the next time you drive to the mall, the grocery store, the garden center....as you are driving think about that perfect parking spot, visualize it in your mind, concentrate on it, think positive and more than likely when you arrive at your destination that parking place will be waiting for you.  The power of positive/optimistic thinking at work.  This has worked for me time and time again.  Now if only my positive thoughts could bring us some rain and cooler weather.

Don't forget our theme for this month is water (oh would I like to see that fall from the sky).  Post all of your images relating to water on our flickr page and tag them "water" to be considered for our weekly chance to be featured here.

"If you're anticipating the worst while hoping for the best, you will usually get the worst.  Turn it around!  Imagine the best, expect the best and you'll usually get the best."  ~  Dan Zadra


10 comments:

Dotti said...

Good morning, Deanna! Very thought provoking post! First I'm happy to report that as I write this rain is falling from our sky. Yesterday, I was quite pessimistic about our chances. But it's raining steadily out there. Ready to grab my camera and shoot some pictures. You know, just in case it's a long time until we see some again. I don't want to forget what it looks like.

Now to your question: I think I'm a realist with a half-full glass.

xo
Dotti

Sherri B. said...

What a lovely post...I refer to myself as a "recovering pessimist". The older I get, the better I am of reminding myself to be positive. But I do envy those people whose positivity radiates from them all the time!

Carol said...

It never occurs to me that things could get worse! I always think they will be better. And there's nothing quite like making the best of a bad situation! It's hard to understand how I can be a worrier at the same time....... I guess I worry about things getting worse, but honestly, I never quite feel deep inside that they will. I assume we're on our way back up.

Carol said...

And by the way Deanna, I love the concept of using cherries for this post....so clever! And great shots!

heyjudephotography said...

I must say that I'm kind of a pessimist who is trying to mend my ways! haha I really do feel better about everything when I look on the bright side of things. Lovely post!

kelly said...

lovely post deanna. :) i'm totally an optimist. i've been guilty of not seeing things the way they really are, but more often than not, seeing the beauty and not the pit has helped me to get through difficult situations.

terriporter said...

For me, life is "just a bowl of cherries"! Couldn't resist that. I'm definitely an optimist, sometimes to a fault. No matter what happens, I always think things will get better and I'm usually right. I think people waste too much time worrying, time that could be better spent enjoying life. If the time comes that something bad happens, I'll worry about it then. Call me a Pollyanna but I think life is much happier when you concentrate on the positives. Love your cherry shots!

Leigh Love said...

Those cherries look delicious! and I am definetly the eternal optimist which is in stark contrast to my always pessimistic husband. I like to think that we tend to balance each other out. I think there is a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking!

Kim Stevens said...

Well, being in a bowl of cherry pits is way better than being in a bowl of poo - does that make me an optimist? LOL Okay seriously, I'm pretty much of an optimist, glass half full, kind of girl. If I'm in the pits I'm not usually there long and there are always a few tid bits of the cherry left that someone else forgot. I agree with Terri, life is too short to worry all the time. Great post, love the photos!

stephmull said...

OK, so it looks like I might be the only "glass half empty" kind of girl! I prefer to say I am a realist (and I really try not to be that negative about things)! My husband is the optimist so he also helps me to see the bright side of things! Great post, Deanna!

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