Optimism: I'm in Training

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Are you an optimist, is your sun always shining? It is a wonderful thing when one can be so positive that even the largest mountain seems climbable, I am not that person. I fear I am an optimistic trainee, a sun seeker in training. I have to ask, did you go through optimism training?

Being optimistic I realize for some is just a fact of birth, for others it is a learned skill and to those I ask, how do you achieve this skill? I try my best but I do not feel I’m honing this skill as efficiently as I could be.

You look at the preverbal glass and see it half full, I look at the same glass and ask, “Yes, I see it is half full but who drank out of my glass?” So is the test to notice the glass is half full or to throw mother’s advice out the window and drink after a stranger?

The optimist will take being short chained as an “Oh well,” situation and move on. I on the other hand take it as stealing and with a smile on my face, will ask, ”Exactly who taught you 4 from 10 equals 3?” Followed by the suggestion to the manager that counter help be afforded math tutors and reading glasses. After all, the cashier register did say 6 for change.

An optimist will take life’s little annoying situations as lessons to be learned, I am not so educated. Like trying to make a peach cobbler with bread flour and ending up with a paper-mache blob that has a peach hair-do. I smiled but it still was not editable.

While I am still an optimistic trainee and am prone to relapses I have made progress. I have learned to smile and I do find myself seeking that preverbal silver lining though for ulterior motives. Have you seen the price of silver? So how do I know I have made progress?

Just the other day a car had been tail gating me for quite a distance and even followed me into a shopping center parking lot. We both parked and as aggravated as I was I put that optimistic smile on my face, walked over to the tailgater and asked,” Where did the chain break, I thought I was towing you to Wal-Mart?”

Score one for optimism.


3 comments:

Unknown said, 

At least you are in training. I have chosen to embrace my pessimism :-)

*files away WalMart joke just in case it's needed some day*

June 9, 2010 at 3:51 AM  
Jules said, 

I fear I'll always be in training and the joke works, made that tail gate rider turn red. Feel free to try it.

June 9, 2010 at 8:02 AM  
Arlee Bird said, 

I tend to be optimistic, and always have been, but with the right dose of realism to keep things in check. My father always tended to be a dreamer and optimistic. My mother tends to be positive and supportive. Their attitudes have apparently rubbed off on me and I continue to maintain these attitudes.

Lee
Tossing It Out

June 9, 2010 at 10:40 AM  
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