Thursday, August 19, 2004
The Optimist vs. The Cynic
I've heard from a couple of people now that once you've experienced bad events in your life, it's hard to be optimisitc and much easier to become a cynic. The saying is: If the world is your enemy, then look at it fierce in the eyes with cynism and you will never be disappointed. My question is, How effective is that attitude when it comes to improving the quality of your life?
I would say that I'm a very positive person. I like to think that hard work DOES pay off and that feeling sorry for yourself is an endless cycle that leads to more disappointment. Growing up, I had a lot of hardships - financial, social and emotional - but that does curb me from future experiences. It's probably impossible to be positive about everything, but wouldn't you want to at least try if it means ensuring yourself a happier life?
I'm cynical about love at times because I find it difficult to trust...but at the same time, I'm positive about going about love and experiencing it. I put in the effort and I make mental notes to convince myself that I shouldn't be so negative about it. If I was negative about love at all times just because I've been hurt before, I would never be where I am today. You're allowed to feel scared sometimes... but what you do with that fear makes all the difference.
A lot of people become so negative... about life and school. But if you think about it, school only takes up a small portion of your entire life.. and yet, the discouragement that you feel from school affects your life thereafter and the way that you approach it. Is it worth it? I think people make the choice to be negative...because there are always two ways that you can learn your lesson. You can either turn it into a positive experience and look at how far you've come, or you can choose to be scared and hide from that negative experience.
Life is about making mistakes and experiencing hardship. It is about living and all these factors are a part of life. If you cannot be positive about your own life, everything else will become negative too. It's like the self-fulfilling prophecy.. if you go into any situation with the idea that you MIGHT fail, then you WILL fail. Being positive isn't easy... it's a state of mind that you need to get into. People are NOT going to motivate you.. people are NOT going to always help you. Being comfortable with your own achievements is the first step.
Everybody experiences failure..EVERYBODY. But without failure, you will never know what success feels like. So don't look at life so negatively...we are all very blessed and lucky to have what we have. It's not about getting what you want.. it's about wanting what you've already got. Appreciate life and your experiences--good or bad--because without them, you would not be the person you are today.
I would say that I'm a very positive person. I like to think that hard work DOES pay off and that feeling sorry for yourself is an endless cycle that leads to more disappointment. Growing up, I had a lot of hardships - financial, social and emotional - but that does curb me from future experiences. It's probably impossible to be positive about everything, but wouldn't you want to at least try if it means ensuring yourself a happier life?
I'm cynical about love at times because I find it difficult to trust...but at the same time, I'm positive about going about love and experiencing it. I put in the effort and I make mental notes to convince myself that I shouldn't be so negative about it. If I was negative about love at all times just because I've been hurt before, I would never be where I am today. You're allowed to feel scared sometimes... but what you do with that fear makes all the difference.
A lot of people become so negative... about life and school. But if you think about it, school only takes up a small portion of your entire life.. and yet, the discouragement that you feel from school affects your life thereafter and the way that you approach it. Is it worth it? I think people make the choice to be negative...because there are always two ways that you can learn your lesson. You can either turn it into a positive experience and look at how far you've come, or you can choose to be scared and hide from that negative experience.
Life is about making mistakes and experiencing hardship. It is about living and all these factors are a part of life. If you cannot be positive about your own life, everything else will become negative too. It's like the self-fulfilling prophecy.. if you go into any situation with the idea that you MIGHT fail, then you WILL fail. Being positive isn't easy... it's a state of mind that you need to get into. People are NOT going to motivate you.. people are NOT going to always help you. Being comfortable with your own achievements is the first step.
Everybody experiences failure..EVERYBODY. But without failure, you will never know what success feels like. So don't look at life so negatively...we are all very blessed and lucky to have what we have. It's not about getting what you want.. it's about wanting what you've already got. Appreciate life and your experiences--good or bad--because without them, you would not be the person you are today.
