Blind Optimism Can Get You Through The Roughest Of Days

I’m a doom and gloom kind of person. Some may say I’m a realist, especially with the current state of our world, but the more commonly used term is a pessimist. There are a lot of people like me in this world.

I appreciate the doom and gloom articles. There’s no sugarcoating from the writers who write these types of articles. They’re also very depressing to read especially when they don’t offer even the smallest possibility for a solution to this so-called miserable life we’ve created for ourselves.

If there’s no light at the end of this dark tunnel, then what are we doing here?

The thought of kids always scared me. It’s not because I knew my life would change once I had them but because I’m scared of what they’ll be up against in this world. Rather than believing in the best of our society, I tend to lean the other way. But I’m hoping to change my perception of our world, if not for myself, at least for my kids.

Anyone with kids knows that there will be rough days. I’ve cried alone in my bathroom a few times. What gets me out of the bathroom is telling myself that that was just a rough moment and that things will be better once I wipe my eyes and unlock that door. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. Nothing gets better if I stay locked in the bathroom.

Most times, blind optimism will get me through the roughest of days.

Blind optimism is about having hope

There are days when I wonder about the future of my kids and whether they’ll be living in some apocalyptic society that my generation and the generations before me created.

Having hope can go a long way.

It’s an underestimated quality that optimists have that pessimists don’t have enough of. If I didn’t have any hope in this world and for this world, I don’t think I would have had kids. With kids, all you can do is to live in the present and have hope for their future. There’s not much else you can do.

Hope is a powerful motivator.

Hope shapes the decisions we make. It’s hard to make an effort if you don’t have faith in your future. Looking at the bright side can keep us motivated to keep trying when things get tough. Optimism can create the confidence you need to move to a different country, change careers, and even have kids.

You need to have hope for how the future will turn out even if the present is complete shit because it’s the only thing that can keep us from a downward spiral.

Caveat: Blind optimism can only get me so far

I’m too pragmatic to be a true optimist. Blind optimism can only get me so far but tuning into it has gotten me out of some rough patches.

Like with anything else in life, there needs to be a balance between realism and false hope.

The premier of my province announced that we were “open for summer” this past year. He lifted all COVID restrictions including mandatory isolation for those who tested positive for the virus and announced that COVID was over while the rest of the world struggled to contain it. To say that it was a COVID shit-show in our province is an understatement. Cases soared, hospitals overflowed, and we had to enlist the help of the military.

Blind optimism can be dangerous (especially when it’s adopted by our politicians and “leaders”).

You need to look at scenarios from all angles, both the positive and the negative. You can’t shut out the realities of life. That’s not to say that you should spend months and years analyzing every scenario for every decision but you should be prepared for obstacles. Visualizing and preparing for obstacles doesn’t make you a pessimist — believing that things will work out despite the hardships is a superpower.

Takeaways:

1.Blind optimism can get you through the roughest of days.

2.Blind optimism is about having hope.

3.Optimism can create the confidence you need to move on.

4.Blind optimism can be dangerous. It might get you through the rough moments but you can’t shut out the realities of life when living your own.

5.Believing you can make it despite the obstacles is a superpower.