I was always kind of a math guy. I liked that things balanced out and how, even with missing information, you could often fill in the blanks (yeah, I was an Algebra geek). In a world that sometimes didn’t make a lot of sense or seemed beyond my immediate control, I appreciated that I could count on 1 and 1 always equaled 2.
As I got older, I also came to see formulas were everywhere. Recipes for food, bike assembly instructions, even human interactions all had components that would add up to reach an eventual conclusion. It was a reflection on this that provided the realization of what I view is a basic truth of the universe… the headline of this post:
Optimism = Hope + Patience
This may seem obvious but I found some value personally in breaking it down:
Optimism is, to me, a belief that things will work out for the best. I’ve previously written how I sometimes feel like I am a “hyper-optimist” and that not only will things turn out for the good, but that they’ll be even better. I’m just strange that way but it’s generally proven to be true.
Hope can mean many things but, at it’s core, I see it as the acceptance that a desirable result is possible. There’s also a recognition that other outcomes can happen but your outcome still has a chance to come out on top. The fact that you still see the possibility of a good outcome is a basic tenet of optimism.
Patience, of course, is a willingness to wait. And I think that it is the key ingredient that many of us miss when it comes to having an optimistic outlook on life.
Without patience, hope can literally wither on the vine. The longer we go without seeing our hope fulfilled, the greater the chance that doubt and despair will come in. Thus, the need for patience.
We must be careful that we don’t become delusional and ignore the reality of a specific situation, but if our hope is justified, then giving the situation time to work itself out – or possibly be helped along by a friendly hand – may be all that’s required to turn our wish into reality.
As I’ve also written about before, I see an interesting corollary with optimism and the ultimate outcome of a situation… that it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy especially if we have a direct role in determining the outcome.
Think of a young gymnast or basketball player learning their sport. Rarely are they great right from the start, but the belief that they can become good combined with their own determination to continue to practice and hone their skills can move them quite a ways along their path towards their goal. Yes, there needs to be aptitude and interest as well, but I believe that the belief of what is possible is a huge motivator for each of us.
Our world is filled with inspirational stories of people who never gave up, of how they overcame difficult odds and persevered until they won in the end. However, in viewing their great accomplishments, don’t lose sight that, along the way, that outcome was not assured; rather, they had to stoke their own optimism to sustain them until they did succeed. There’s a powerful lesson for each of us in viewing the entire journey – including our own – and in having the patience to allow our hopes to be realized.
Know that I’m pulling for you!
What If... 