Changing the Definition

There seems to be a problem with the definition of optimism in today's society. We live in a society that's premised on results. Children go through an education system that assigns them a number. Workers are valued each day by the number of products they can sell, the value of their companies stock, or their net worth of property. To be optimistic in society is to be hopeful that we can attain a greater performance, to receive a better result for the future, an enhanced numerical value that society defines us by. But, this isn't what optimism is about.

The idea of our society is changing so that the concept of being defined by a result isn't sufficient. Society is coming to value the individual, and not the individual's worth, to encourage growing potential, instead of growing workers, and to view each person as a member of global community on the path to something greater instead of another commodity. Optimism is not about finding fullness in a glass of water. It is the idea that people each day are realizing this change and finding it within themselves to be better. Whether it's learning a new skill, facing a fear, anything that continues an individuals growth is achieving a new form of value. I am optimistic that people will realize the individual growth that they can find within themselves each day or find the brilliance in the world around us.

Optimism is knowing that each day can be better, and it can be better for all of us in ways that extend beyond the values that are important to others. Optimism finds value within people every moment and each day.

Forget the Rest

Remembering that we are living for ourselves and that our lives are full of opportunity can sometimes slip us by. This past week for myself has been a torrential hail-storm of essays, assignments, and mid-terms. It's in these moments of stress that I sometimes find myself forgetting to step back and simply forget the rest. Everyone in the world has an opinion on what the right thing is: which path to take, which decision to make, which choice is the best, because as humans we all experience these things. To school it's always about the best grades, the hardest studying, and for those who are capable of it, I give them "props." But the idea that these things are important are simply the ideas of the commons. What really matters, is what matters to you, and what you enjoy in life.

Hence, I implore you to forget the rest. Yes, everyone shares the same ideas and are simply trying to help you a long the way. Though, it seems to me that when you step back, and see the loving friends you have, and the opportunities that lie just around the corner there's no reason to find yourself falling into a single path. If one doesn't work for you, there's always another path waiting to be unveiled. This isn't to say it doesn't require finding, sometimes it takes hard work, but it exists, and it's waiting for you.

Superheroes

Why doesn't every human being possess the courage and the confidence of their favorite Superhero? As humans we begin by idolizing our parents and then extend that courtesy out to individuals, real or not, whom we admire. Yet, even after finding a superhero that we wish to embody, we usually quickly forget the fundamentals of what makes our favorite superhero great.

I would argue that it has something to do with our evolutionary mechanism to stress. It has been posited that in today's society our stress response has been severely misused. Instead of fighting for our survival , in today's society we fight for resources. We attempt to ascertain monetary value because it has become a symbol for a good life. This makes our "survival" dependent upon how we do in society, whether that be in your career, at school, or among your friends. Every deadline, every interaction, and every mistake can affect your relationship with society and therefore alter your chances at survival. At least, this is what we tend to believe?

Decisions are rarely this battle for life and death, yet, we have come to fear the concept of failure. Society has categorized failure and death as almost synonymous, and as we fight to prevent them both we are constantly battling the stress of decisions that don't drastically alter our lives. Superheroes make the constant decision between life and death to uphold the values of courage, strength, and determination amidst the stress and fear of life and death.

Yet, perhaps the stronger individual is one who can overcome the fear of failure imposed by society to derive those same ideals. Instead of the obvious stress of life and death, each day millions of us are confronted with the minor stresses that seem to greatly deteriorate the lives we wish to live. Happy, healthy, fulfilling. The sheer realization that these minor stresses are simply anything but, may require a greater hero who realizes that each failure is simply an opportunity for growth and development. Each stressor isn't something detracting from ones life, but rather an opportunity to develop ones personal ideology and character. Real hero's exist everyday in gaining something from their downfall.

Horizons

It's incredible how many of us forget where we are. This might sound like an odd thought, as clearly, we are in "X" city at a particular address. If you were to think about your week you could probably picture an entire 168 hours spent within a distance of that address. Wake up, make breakfast, go to work, come home, make dinner, relax (if you can find the time!) and hit the hay only to wake up again to the alarm. Thinking about your week, you can likely draw a border around the places you're likely to go.

Let us call this your sphere. How often do you break free from it? For those many individuals who drive to work, ponder next time how far that road can take you. If there are no roads, picture instead where walking in a singular direction might let you go. If you take transit, what about escaping from that sphere at the next transfer?

We often forget how large the world is and what distant places we are able to explore. Often, many are consumed with the idea of a vacation, however, the opportunity to explore lies just upon the horizon in any direction. All you need is to the desire to break free from the sphere when the time permits and allow yourself to become immersed in the new world that exists just a short while away.
Opportunity exists just minutes away; we just have to go looking for it.

Changing the World Through Perspective

It wasn't until last year that I began to understand this word. It's this simple word that has the power to change the entire world. Yes, I suppose the same can be said with other words, but this one rings true to me.

In today's society we run through the world trying to reach our next appointment, or make time for the latest deadline. We consistently rush while the world passes us by, exasperated at the sheer volume of work and expectations that each individual is crushed by. It is this perspective of the world that seems to remain true among so many.

Instead, I choose to imagine a world full of individuals attempting to make a difference. I would argue that this is a goal for many people in society. Although that difference may be small, let us remember that through perspective no action is insignificant. Some may argue that their job is meaningless. Yet, we perform actions such as holding a door open, or smiling to someone on the street that we may again never see. Why? Because the world is not a group of people mindlessly toiling away at their professions simply to make an income, but rather to better their lives and the lives of those around them.

Although some may disagree, and often times it's easy to forget, we are all members of a growing, and ever connected society - where each person's dream is to make a difference. This perspective is what I choose to follow, and it has changed the world.