Optimism is not something that happens to you. It has little to do with the external world providing you with goodness and perfect outcomes. Optimism requires a disposition prior to favorable outcomes. It requires you to have faith and hope and to choose to believe it will all flow the way it should be, before an reassurance is given. It is to see goodness in moments, even when goodness seems absent. It is to honor celebrations whenever possible, to offer a laugh whenever it can be inserted. It is choose to see kindness, even when it is hidden. Optimism is a state of mind – which means it is something you must develop internally. It is a choice on how you hold the mind. And if you practice centering the mind upon the state of optimism regularly – it will become your automatic disposition.
When we choose to hold our state of mind in optimism, then joy and happiness will follow easily. If we choose to be in a state of mind of optimism, then we don’t require the external world to always entertain us. Because if we require the external world to be the way we find joy, happiness and optimism, then we will find it costs an extreme amount of finances and usually only lasts a few moments at a time.
A state of mind is a disposition. It is the platform we develop for the mind. When we train the mind to build from the root of optimism every day, eventually it becomes an automatic response.
Last week, my husband and I went to New Orleans. And when in New Orleans, you must integrate into the party – there is no sitting on the sidelines. We went out every night, ate good food and walked the partying streets. One night, we went into a risqué bar and found our way to their roof top balcony. Hanging off the railings were lines and lines of Mardi Gras beads. Now I’m not sure if they were there for future moments, or for the employees or hanging there with full permission for just any person to throw. I chose to believe they were there for the taking. So taking we did. For well over an hour, my husband and I began throwing beads down to people walking along the street. Some people looked up with enormous smiles and glee, screaming for a $1.00 plastic Mardi Gras necklace. Some laughed with full on excitement and some did not. Some people literally slung beads off their arm in pure disgust. Like it was a snake dropping from the sky. Some people acted like they were in church and it was preposterous that someone even suggested they wear beads in New Orleans. It was very interesting watching people’s automatic reactions. And here is the most interesting observation, the group of people that became the most excited to get beads were the senior citizens! They were the ones who automatically flowed into optimistic joy. Laughter and Glee. And the groups that struggled, were the young, dressed up, pretty peeps – waiting for the outer world to reach a higher level of entertainment to create a smile or an optimistic energy.
You see, if you let go a bit and settle into the goodness of life you can have an automatic good reaction majority of the time. If you train your mind to believe that fun things do fall from the sky and celebrations are always available to be had – then you will find joy and happiness easier to invoke within. If you train the state of your mind every day. Saying, “mind we are good, the world is good, all things will work out”, then this will become your state of mind all the time. Your automatic reaction to the world will not be one of despair or anger – but instead with smiles and softness and optimistic energy. Start training today.
Teach your mind to be in a state of optimism. Train every day. Tell the mind to rest in positive light and believe in positive ways. Then watch how this becomes your natural disposition every day.