Several weeks ago we had a socially-distanced dinner with some friends. They were feeling anxious about the state of the world. Wrapped up in all the various goings-on of American politics, they both admitted they’d been losing sleep, feeling stressed-out, eating poorly, and experiencing a ton of fear about what may or may not happen on election day and beyond.
They were haggard.
We were sitting only 6 feet away from them and yet their sky was dark and gloomy and ours was blue skies for miles.
And that’s because we’ve made a conscious choice to be optimistic.
Yep, it’s a choice. I understand that it can be difficult to stay positive when everything around you feels so out-of-whack. I mean, come on 2020. Give us a break, already. But here’s the thing to remember…
Just because everybody else is feeling pessimistic, doesn’t mean you should too. Let me explain.
Choosing optimistic thoughts feels way better than choosing pessimistic thoughts. And when you feel better (and even one optimistic thought can make a difference), you start to make better choices about your health. And when you make better choices about your health, you start to feel better, and then it’s easier to be optimistic.
Do you see how this upward spiral of optimism works?
I know it sounds simplistic, and it is. It’s really as simple as deciding to be optimistic. Choose one little optimistic thought and see what happens. Then layer on another optimistic thought, and another, and before you know it, your entire world has changed.
But you have to decide if that’s what you want. Here’s a question to ask yourself…
Do I care enough about how I feel that I am willing to paint my own picture?
I hope so. A painting like that can change your world.
Image: Mitchell Rigie