Day 25: Optimism
By: Sara Barnes
It’s rough out there.
Wars, atrocities, mass shootings, global warming, toxic polarization, free-floating anger and anxiety. We're surrounded by a hefty amount of negativity, and it can sometimes feel hard to stay up-beat. Conflict resolution is, by nature, an optimistic process. Here are some approaches that might help you and others generate optimism:
Look for the Helpers
Mister Rogers tells us “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping . . . That will give you hope.’”
Do Something
Using the concept of circle of human concern from john a. powell, I try to focus on where I can make the most difference. I remind myself that doing something is much better than the alternative -- doing nothing...
Think Historically
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. popularized “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The arc-of-history concept is a reminder that there’s so much more to come and that what we do today has an effect on the future.
Face Your Fears
Audre Lorde said this about fear: “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” The idea is to look outside yourself and see if you can find ideas that tap into your power instead of your fearful self.
Learn Something
The mantra says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I have always found that to be true for me. Find something to learn and someone who can teach. Throughout my life I have returned to T. H. White’s quote from Merlyn: The Once and Future King: “The best thing for being sad . . . is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails . . . That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust . . . [l]earning is the thing for you.”
Serve Others
It is not solely magnanimity that drives people to serve others. We rise by lifting others. Being of service to another human can help to focus the gaze beyond an individual viewfinder and expand one’s vision. In the process, reframed within a wider context, concerns may seem to be a bit smaller, a bit more handleable. Remember, optimism and believing in a positive future is contagious. Just a smidge of optimism can peek some light through gloomy skies.
Spread some light during dark times.
Happy Pancha Ganapati, a Hindu festival celebrated with family
honoring new beginnings.