“Optimism doesn’t mean that you are blind to the reality of the situation. It means that you remain motivated to seek a solution to whatever problems arise.” – The Dalai Lama
How many times have you been in a tough situation and thought to yourself, there is no way I’m getting out of this or figuring this out? We face challenges every single day. Some feel much bigger than others. What are we going to do about our jobs, our finances, our relationships, our time, our health… and the list can go on and on and on. Have you ever been given the advice of, “it will be ok” or “you’ll figure it out.”
Even if someone has good intentions by expressing these words to us, it can be frustrating because it sounds hollow. Do we trust that it will be ok? Do we actually know that things will work out?
Our third core value that guides Greater Culture is the value of optimism. This value, in my opinion, is where things get even more difficult in terms of how we talk to ourselves and think. We can think of moments as challenges, and want to grow, but how are we supposed to be optimistic about how to solve the problems in our lives?
First off, let’s define what optimism is. It’s the belief that you can make a positive impact on your future. It is not the belief that everything in the world is perfect and always sunshines and rainbows. It means we accept the situation that we’re in, and we have the confidence that we can make a difference moving forward. The Dalai Lama captured this same belief in the quote for this week. It means we stay motivated to seek a solution. It means we allow ourselves to be creative and problem solvers rather than focusing our attention on the issues at hand. We acknowledge the reality of how things are, and then have a deep resolve to make them better if we want.
Optimism is a skill that can be built and cultivated over time, just like building a muscle or our endurance. It can be developed by experiencing gratitude for what we have, and then finding the ways we can make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others. Optimistic people tend to live longer and healthier lives than those who tend to be more pessimistic. They tend to have stronger relationships, and experience more success as well.
Optimism is a core value because we know that creative problem solvers are makes a culture of people who want to be greater. We strive each day to create an environment of people who focus on what they can do, what they can achieve, and what they are excited to work towards.
Let’s all have the belief that we can make a positive impact on whatever situations we find ourselves in and find a moment each day to be grateful for where we are.
