Our first item of business is a shoutout to Mardi's granddaughter Chloe, in Comox, B.C., who is celebrating her 18th birthday. Have a great day Chloe!
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Competing for best story of the day was the news that Kathryn got.
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You may not have believed me when I said that Lynn dragged Roger out of the ocean in Hawaii for their wedding, but I have found the picture proof.
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Mardi and I heard the following essay last night at the virtual meeting of our Optimist Club. Pretty mature approach from a grade 12 student. And it explains why the two of us are such wonderful people!
Betul S. Asdemir
Reaching Your Dreams by Choosing Optimism
We are all unique human beings with distinct paths set out for us through different experiences. How we react to these experiences shapes us and determines who we are. If one approaches life optimistically, they can bring the best version of themselves one step closer; an optimistic outlook helps them persevere and get to their destinations. Optimism leads you to reach your dreams as it motivates you to focus on your goals, be farsighted, and maintain good physical health.
Firstly, optimism gives you the necessary determination to focus on your goals. An optimistic person believes that their dreams are attainable. This belief gives them motivation to not yield, to persevere, whereas a pessimistic person lets fear and doubt block themselves. Optimists will get out of their comfort zone because they have the determination to achieve, while pessimists decide to use their time and resources where they are comfortable. In a study conducted using a scientifically-validated optimism scale, American researchers Michelle Gielan and Shawn Anchor found that “Visionary Work Optimists” were five times less likely to burn out than pessimists (Marz et al., 2019). This data proves that while pessimists tend to give up more quickly, optimistic people can hold on more strongly to their dreams and work harder for them.
In addition to presenting you with determination, optimism also grants you farsightedness, the view that whatever you are facing now is temporary. The path to reaching a dream often brings you face to face with high walls. An optimist realizes that they will not always be in front of the wall, and there will come a time when they leave it behind. They know that now is not forever, so they ask themselves, “What can I do to pass this wall?” Optimists
believe that this is possible even if they cannot see the way yet. Eventually, they can find a ladder to climb the wall. On the other hand, a pessimist views this wall as unpassable. The pessimist’s lack of hope makes them turn around from the wall and walk back to where they started. Another view tying to optimism is the Law of Attraction. According to the law, our thoughts have a frequency, and they attract occurrences with the same frequency. Therefore, whatever we think, we will attract to our lives (Byrne, 2018, p.10). Even though the Law of Attraction emphasizes the power of our thoughts and optimism relies on the action that expecting good outcomes brings, both views correlate positive psychology with success. In the view of optimism, believing in good results will lead you to act in such a way that will get you around the barriers, look ahead of obstacles. Consequently, optimists can manage whatever situation they face because they can see the light at the end of the road.
Finally, optimism is the way to reach your dreams as it helps you maintain good physical health. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, health comes second after physiological needs, such as water, food, shelter, clothing and sleep (Mcleod, 2020). If the necessities are not met, the individual cannot move up the hierarchy to satisfy the other needs, like love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (Mcleod, 2020). Achieving dreams goes at the top of the hierarchy with self-actualization, and good health is a must to get to the top. A review of 15 studies with more than 200,000 participants found that optimists have a 35% lower chance of getting heart disease and a 14% lower chance of early death (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2020). Moreover, optimistic people are more likely to engage in healthy habits, like exercising and maintaining a healthy diet. Therefore, optimism increases the chances of having better physical health and allows someone to fight for their dreams.
In conclusion, optimism carves a path towards one’s dreams by leading them to focus on their goals, giving them the ability to look ahead of the obstacles, and helping to sustain a better physical condition. On top of that, anyone can open the doors to optimism by consciously focusing on what they are grateful for; gratefulness can change your mindset and attitude towards the events that happen in life, leading to a more optimistic outlook. Being an optimist is a conscious decision that becomes a habit, and it has the power to bring you closer to your dreams.
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Get well Kathryn. Stay well for everyone else.
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