Management & Personal Development / Personal Thoughts...

A Conundrum: Optimism & Reality

Afif Tabsh17 Comments

I feel that nagging, blaming others and feeling helpless about life is something we’re really good at…especially Lebanese.

No matter how educated or how illiterate, how young or old, female or male, with a high paying job or jobless…we got to nag about something…we got to find problems in everything from the daily issues, to political arena, to economics, to how the whole world is working…whatever issue it is..we can find something to nag about in it and we’re always the victims….but we just don’t do anything about it!

Somewhere in my mid-teens I realized that I tend to fly outside the flock…in numerous ways. This kind of used to make me feel not on the same mental/personal/social page with others my age…whether at school or neighbors or family or…etc. One of those “odd” things I have in me is being optimistic …or what some like to label me “Utopian”… I tend to look at the bright side..even in those stressful moments or when bad things are happening to me or around me…

It is like that quote that says “If life gave you lemons, make lemonade!” …some…or let me say many around me..don’t get it. They don’t see the option of “lemonade” they just see “oh crap, I gotta eat those?!” (metaphorically ofcourse).

So life and people I meet along the way tend to leave an impact in me, and infact many tried to explain to me, one way or another, that being a “pessimist” or  what they like to call them self “realistic” is well…wiser…more profound..more mature. But hey..talk to me here…how come being a pessimist is more profound? ..how come that if you are negative and nag about what you got or didn’t get in life, make you any more mature?

I have to say I’m happy with that “Utopian” title…and I live by it everyday…living that optimism…that positive thinking(I don’t mean that I don’t get sad, I don’t frown and I don’t have mood swings…its just that I tend to be positive most of the time)…I try being that kind of person that if I look back 50 years from now …I’d say I’m completely content, happy and proud of every decision I’ve made…and infact proud of that positive attitude that got me through those 50 years!

So here’s the conundrum for you…my fellow reader… does reality have to be negative, harsh, demanding and unfair (atleast it is according to what I hear people say about it) or can it really be more shiny, happier, safer, more heavenly than we think it is…???

I guess it is all in our heads, whatever we decide it is …it will be…but the trick here is not just to THINK of it this or that…its about ACTING on our thoughts and decisions.

So what is your choice???

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17 thoughts on “A Conundrum: Optimism & Reality”

  1. “This is Lebanon,” my friend always says, “what can we do?” She says it with a smirk and a shrug of the shoulders, meaning the statement as a rhetorical question. It is said with the same attitude as one uses when walking outside and announcing “It is raining, what can we do?” And so she will plan another luncheon and all the guests will sit around nagging and complaining about Lebanon.

    Thank you, Afif, for bringing this topic up. The email hit my inbox in-between email circulars on ‘Killing For Sport–Confession Video: US Soldier Describes Thrill Kill of Innocent Afghans’
    (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26461.htm) and ‘A Possible Armageddon in Southern Beirut’ (http://www.agenceglobal.com/article.asp?id=2441).

    Irony, irony. Each of these articles discusses how utterly absurd the situations have become, each having been easily foreseen and preventable. Yet most of the world sat around just complaining and doing nothing but shaking our heads.

    Sure, we all have our daily grind to orchestrate. But if we can picture a positive ending to the stories of our lives, then we can MAKE IT HAPPPEN. If we can plan a successful luncheon, why not a successful environmental, social, and yes maybe even political programme? Isn’t it worth trying? Thanks, Afif, for flying outside that flock….

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  3. Excellent article Afif!!!
    I donno who created this myth that realistic is synonym of pessimistic, even any dictionary won’t agree!!! you can be realistic and happy, they are two different things …bass as you said, we here in Lebanon are experts in nagging!!! even if u have a pure positive event, we have the ability to find something to nag about!!! u can bet on it!!! and nagging allow them to be victims, and being victims frees their conscience of the guilt of not doing anything about their problems….
    Keep flying as far as you can from that flock! 🙂

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  4. We have all to gain and nothing to loose if we adopt this positive attitude Afif, I agree 🙂 The question remains, How easy is that when you face bitter realities? That would be a tough “call” 😉 and as humans, we might need some time to process negativity and bounce back every time 🙂 🙂

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  5. IT IS ALL IN OUR HEAD AND WHAT WE BELIEVE IN…

    WE CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN 🙂 …
    WE SHALL NEVER FORGET THAT !!!

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  6. Very inspiring afif 🙂

    i think i’ll read it every time i feel m seeing things in a pessimistic way; wishing someday I’ll be an “utopian” which as u say is much better than being pessimistic

    regards,

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  7. Always ask “How is that working for you?” If being the pessimist is working for them, then maybe through their pessimism they are acknowledging what they see as truth and discovering ways to move beyond it. If being the optimist is working I believe it is that in looking for the good, you attract better. But if you are being optimistic and not realistically acknowledging what is, and how to move past what is, then you aren’t releasing the walls of resistance.
    Personally, I choose to deliberately attract positive people that consciously choose to be successful. I acknowledge the weak, but do not allow there negative energy to interfere with my positive vibrations.

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