Continuing on our January theme, optimism is essential to a positive mindset and aids emotions that are essential for a healthy and happy life. To use a metaphor, it’s like a sprinkle of salt on a tasty meal. It enhances what you already have in front of you. Like salt, optimism brings out confidence, courage, resilience, and
permits conversations about your personal ambitions. Without it, it’s hard to imagine the existence of any of those things.
Develop a mindset that allows you to adapt and share positive thoughts with those around you. When that happens, everyone has a better chance of not just succeeding, but having a good time along the way.
Analogies aside, look for the benefits
of optimism to satisfy your desires, whether they’re related to your career, family, fitness, or even your spiritual faith.
Part 1 of this segment offered an overview of how optimism affects you and those around you. More especially, it touched on how it affects your kids. Let’s move on to what you can expect as an optimist and a parent.
Pessimism is closely aligned with realism. Pessimists are analytical. In other words, they’ll find all the reasons why you can’t achieve something. As an optimist you may not be the analytical one in the room. You may not even fully appreciate the analytical observations of a pessimist.
But, you won’t be the pessimist, and that’s what matters!
Now parents, transfer that optimism. Develop a psychology of resilience in your child by presenting challenges that they think are insurmountable or otherwise unknown.
Smash the “F.U.D.”, or any fear, uncertainty and doubt in their minds. And by “smash” we’re talking about more than just a figure of speech. Everyone, even
those who don’t study martial arts can tell you that they’ve seen board breaking, either on television, YouTube, or in-person. If there was ever a universal symbol for expressing one’s potential of overcoming personal fears, this is it! It’s a life changing ritual that can create a mindset to guide them through the rest of their lives.
Keep in mind that everything your children do, including their failures, can be presented in a way that highlights the benefits of their actions as a learning experience. These are experiences which can be shown to be building blocks for bigger and better things in the future.
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” — Henry David Thoreau
Finally, remember to smile every once in a while. Having fun is half the battle. Laugh, even in the face of opposition, whether it’s an “immovable object” or an “unstoppable force”. Believe that you’re above it. Your chances of getting above or ahead of it will get MUCH better.