The so-called optimist, then, is the only one attending to real things, the only one describing a substance that is actually in the glass.
- From "The Art of Possibility
by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
I love this book. I feel like it reaffirms my outlook and attitude toward life. So often I've been told I'm a dreamer, an idealist, an optimist - as if they were repugnant attributes that no sane person would choose to possess. I've been told I'm blind to negativity, that I fail to see the bad qualities in people and situations, and that I live in my own little world.
So I ask, why would I choose to look for the negatives when there still remains so much positive? By being optimistic I choose to accept that things are the way they are and still be happy with myself. My adding to the negativity helps no-one. Indeed, being pessimistic or negative myself only exacerbates those qualities that hinder our enjoyment of life.
Personally, I'm happy being in my own little world and if I choose to ignore the negativity - don't assume I don't know it is there. As Zander points out, accepting "the way things are" allows us to move into "giving way to passion". However, it has been my experience that one does not necessarily lead to the other. Accepting the world and others as they are is not the same as accepting yourself and to "give way to passion" requires that most difficult acknowledgement.
Accepting yourself, as Zander notes, requires letting go of the defensive barriers we all build around ourselves. A strenuous, demanding and difficult task that can ultimately be rewarding, enlightening, and, quite honestly, potentially life changing. Once these barriers are lowered it is easier to acknowledge and accept the negative and then move on and enjoy the day.
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