Optimism gives us the willingness to proceed, to step forward, to keep going – even when things do not look like they are going our way. We are not able to control what others say or do, but we can control our own thoughts and beliefs. So when things are not going well we may want to ask ourselves – how did I contribute to this challenge and what can I do different to change my results? Very seldom do we see a challenge that we did not contribute in some manner to the position we find ourselves in.
The danger zone here is – in blaming ourselves for parts of the challenge we had nothing to do with. This calls for us to be real – not making the problem or issue bigger than it really is, nor ignoring the facts as they really are. We have to be truthful with ourselves. Sometimes we need an outside voice to help us to see what is real, but with practice we will get there ourselves.
Once we understand the reality, then we can apply our perseverance to the situation by making decisions to continue on or to change course, but finding a way to overcome the obstacles that are preventing us from reaching our goals. Having optimism is usually created with a belief we have that we can overcome this situation. This is a belief in ourselves, our values and our mission.