So many people are beaten down and discouraged and hopeless and just sad. They have broken dreams and broken hopes and broken lives. They live their routine and anything outside of this reality is a fantasy land. Anyone who's truly happy must not be living in the same world as they are, because that just doesn't exist. Does it?
So then why can some people really, honestly be happy? How is it possible that they stay positive as often as they do? There's one simple word that sums up one's ability to be as much of an eternal optimist as is realistic: Perspective.
Perspective is the ability to discern what's a "big deal" and what isn't. The ability to pick your battles, so to speak. The ability to see things how they are on a larger scale, and not how they appear to be in a small bubble.
The reality of the earth and the universe and the man-made conflicts our species creates for itself daily. And the ability to recognize these issues for what they are (or aren't).
Perspective is the reason why I don't get stressed out and become snappy toward the people I love. It's why I can separate the stressful parts of my day from the enjoyable parts. It's the reason why I can unwind after work, go to dinner, and forget about the tensions of the day without letting them infiltrate my downtime.
Keeping things in perspective and understanding that we drive home in a car much of the world will never own, to a home much of the world will never live in, and eat food much of the world will never taste is a great first step to complaining less, and living more.
To stop noticing all of the things we lack and start appreciating all the things we have. To stop wasting time hating the people who hate us, and spend more time loving the people who love us. To stop looking for problems and start searching for solutions together.
To live, to love, to experience the journey. To turn up the volume on that song you love during your morning commute because nobody said you're required to be miserable on your way to work. To belt that song out so loudly your windows, explode.
To smile at the sulking person next to you. To say hello to the person passing by you in the grocery store. To pay for someone's coffee when they're behind you in line. Nobody ever said you're required to be miserable.
The secret to being an eternal optimist is simple: you choose it for yourself.
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