Top Quotes: “The Optimist’s Manifesto” — Elizabeth Shaw
“Merriam Webster defines optimism as:
- A disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
- The belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
- The belief that goodness pervades reality.
I agree in many regards and have adapted Webster’s definition into my own, with a slight variation…
Optimism is the ability to look at a situation, event, or conditions and believe in the possibility of the most favorable outcomes. It’s seeing the good in every situation, believing the best of people and the world, and approaching life with hope and possibility. Practical optimism is the ability to see the possibility of the most favorable outcomes, and act in a way that moves toward the most favorable outcome becoming reality.”
“I’m not optimistic because of my charmed life. In fact, I think the cause and effect is reversed. My life is charmed because I am so optimistic. Simply put, I’ve made my own charmed reality because of my mindset and actions. Optimism has given me the courage to take risks, to say YES even when faced with reasons to say NO. It’s opened me up to unexpected people along my journey, resulting in beautiful relationships because I saw the best in someone, instead of expecting the worst of them. There’s no doubt also that optimism has furthered the success of my career, because I look for solutions and see benefits when others see problems and failures, and I can take advantage of lessons learned via such challenges to improve myself and make situations even better.”
“When you’re an optimist, life has a funny way of looking after you.” — Simon Sinek
“Curiosity can be used to transform fear. And so, instead of allowing myself to remain overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain because of my fear, I started to ask questions and be inquisitive, both around what I was fearing and around the things I was dreaming and believing in.
The process of turning fear into curiosity starts by asking questions
What can I learn from this?
What am I really afraid of?
What’s the worst that can happen?
This last question can be a daunting one, but it’s worth asking. In fear mode, we usually jump to the worst-case scenario quickly, and feel as if its’ going to be an immediate result. The important part of this question is to follow it up with what must occur between where you’re at now, and the worst-case scenario occurring. Usually, there are significantly more steps involved than you might’ve imagined, and you don’t have quite so much to fear as you thought.”
“When I struggle to reframe a failure or obstacle, I realize that I’m often too close to the situation to be able to see it through a different lens. When we’re in the midst of hardship, often we have tunnel vision as we struggle to move through the difficulty. In these times, I ask those closest to me to help me see things from a different perspective. Are there lessons or benefits they acknowledge that I’m not seeing myself? What are they observing from their outside perspective?”
“See the light in others, and treat them as if that’s all you see.” — Dr. Wayne Dyer
“Everyone is a sum of all their parts, but too often we treat people as if they’re defined by their shortcomings, or mistakes, instead of seeing the entire person. On the contrary, I propose that we take this advice and treat people as if they're defined only by the light in them, by their potential, by the good they bring. So often, we’re our own harshest critics, and no one is benefited if the people in our lives are also harsh critics of us. I’m not saying that we don’t accept the people in our lives in their entirety, flaws and all, but we can treat them as if they’re always the best version of themselves — with the same grace and acceptance as we do when we first fell in love with them.
Instead of complaining or criticizing, which comes so easily to many of us, shift your focus to the positive. Highlighting strengths, praising, and complimenting are all ways to bring out the positive traits of those around us. I challenge you to start with trying just 1 day without complaining or criticizing another person. Replace those comments with celebrating the unique, light-filled traits that you cherish and admire, and see what unfolds. Then, try it for 1 week and then for 1 month. It’s beautiful to see another person’s light shine bigger and brighter as that light is regularly recognized and celebrated.”
“In our work optimists have more satisfaction and success. In relationships optimists have more meaningful, healthy, and fulfilling interactions. In our communities, optimists are the ones who believe that positive change is possible and make it so.”
“Optimism isn’t about life being perfect. It’s about making the best of where you’re at, what you have, who you’re with, and where you’re going. It’s about celebrating, savoring, creating, being, loving, and living. Optimism is the ability to believe in the best possible outcomes, and practical optimism is about acting in ways that make those outcomes your reality.
Optimism is the key to a more fulfilled, successful, and dynamic life.”
