Optimism – A small word that encompasses a whole world. As Leibniz puts it, the feeling that this world is the best of all possible worlds.
Without Optimism there is no doubt in my mind that we would be living our lives in despair. Optimism manifests in many ways, optimism that India will lift the world cup once again, Optimism that even in the darkest of times, a ray of light will appear leading to better things, optimism that however badly you have done in your exams, you will get good marks due to a benevolent teacher. To me optimism is an excuse that we constantly give our-self that life it is worth the hardships we endure daily.
When I look into my life, and try to find a single moment that embodies the optimism that I try to show , I fail. There isn’t just that one moment. Our lives are full of such moments. Life itself would be dreary if this was not so.
What I would like to , however, write about is the catalyst for this Optimism. In my life, I believe there is no larger catalyst than my family and close friends. A friend , a true friend is always there to give you a gee-up when you are down. He infuses a dose of optimism in your life so that you have things to look forward to. But the greatest dose of Optimism , at least in my case , is my family.
I am lucky to be born into a family that is very close. All my life, I have seen the family stick together through thick and thin, through good times and bad. Thankfully , the good times far out number the bad ones.
But let’s think about this. Is this a co-incidence? or is it a function of the attitude showcased by the family. Let me clarify, my family is full of worry warts. My grandfather was well-known in his circle as a tension master, even though he was super cool under pressure. My dad , even though exudes confidence and coolness , tends to worry his head off about small things. My mother is well-known as a cool cat, but when tense, she takes the role of the cat’s cousin – the tiger. But beneath all this, they are able to move along because they believe that even the worst of times will end and the good times will come back. That is Optimism for me.
So in summary, let me go back to the beginning. What is optimism?
As I muse and end this essay, I believe, Optimism shouldn’t just be just about the glass being half full or half empty, it should be just about the glass being there, fill it with the optimism that you exude and live life looking forward to the next day.
As Winston Churchill puts it “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”
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