Why We Can Be An Optimist This 2017

WHY I AM AN OPTIMIST THIS 2017

INTRODUCTION:

Happy New Year to everyone.

Welcome to 2017.

A bright new year is ahead of us.

I wonder if you have the same feeling or outlook in this year as I do.

Many years ago, former President Reagan in his news conference at the start of the new year declared to the world,

"You can look pessimistically on the world today or you can look optimistically " he said, "I chose the optimistic look."

That is true. You can choose to be an optimist for the entire year or you can be a pessimist.

Your outlook will determine your ultimate destiny for your life.

Here is a picture of a person walking down the field - his outlook on the field can either be dry or green.

There is a big difference between an optimist and a pessimist person.

A story is told of two identical twins who were alike in every way except one thing.

One was a hope-filled optimist who only saw the bright side of life.

While the other was a pessimist, who only saw the dark side in every situation.

The parents were so worried about the extremes of optimism and pessimism in their boys that they seek the advice of a psychologist.

The psychologist suggested a plan of action.

"On their next birthday, give the pessimist a shiny new bike, but give the optimist only a pile of manure and watch their reaction.

Hopefully, this will bring them to a new balance."

It seemed a fairly extreme thing to do, but there is no harm in trying.

After all, the parents had always treated their boys equally in the past.

But in this instance, they will try to follow the psychologist's advice.

So, when the twin's birthday came, they gave the pessimist the most expensive, top of the line, racing bike a child has ever wanted.

But when he saw the bike, his first words were, "I'll probably crash and break my leg."

However, to the optimist, they gave a carefully wrapped box of manure.

He opened it, looked puzzled for a moment, then ran outside and screaming,

"You can't fool me! Where there's this much manure, there's just gotta be a pony around here somewhere!"

That is an optimist. Even in a box of manure, he could see a pony!

According to the Thesaurus, being an optimistic person is someone who believes positively and favorably at life.

Therefore, this thought prompts him to have a cheerful countenance, confident and a buoyant attitude at all times.

He sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

It is good to be an optimist in life.

While a pessimistic person is someone who is always expecting a bad outcome of the situation.

Such outlook will prompt him to be more depressed, despondent and discouraged at life.

He sees the difficulty in every opportunity.

It is not good to live with a pessimistic person.

I heard about a story of two convicts in prison who were looking out at the same window one night.

The pessimist only saw the dry ground with all its dirt and darkness but the optimist saw the stars with all its light and brightness.

We must always look at the brighter side of life.

I heard about one man suffering from deep depression and decided to commit suicide.

He jumped off one of those tall buildings about 70 stories high.

But as he was going down, he became more and more optimistic.

When he passed the tenth floor, somebody from the window asked him, "How are you doing?"

He said, "I'm doing all right, so far!"

But of course, it was too late.

His pessimism has taken it's toll.

The London bridge at night is beautiful and majestic.

But you could be attracted to it by the force of darkness or by the power of light.

There was a man who was getting ready to commit suicide.

He wanted to jump off the London bridge to kill himself.

Suddenly there was a policeman who saw him.

"Wait, wait, wait. Don't do that. Don't jump. I'll come and help you."

And so, the policeman climbed up the bridge and sat down beside him and tried to help him and counsel him and tell him not to jump.

And so, the man told the policeman all of his troubles.

And they both jumped in.

Discouragement is infectious.

I supposed, that's the way some psychiatrist or some psychologist feel today.

We can easily be affected emotionally when we hear the sad stories of people regarding their troubles, their trials and tribulations.

Those broken homes, those drug addictions, those run-away children that are told over an dover again can make a pessimist out of us.

When we read and receive those negative news from the papers our thoughts and mood pattern changes.