There is nothing quite so troublesome as the negativity that surrounds the pessimist. Like the Peanuts character, ‘Pig-Pen’ who leaves a dark cloud of dust on every bright and shiny surface it confronts.
It must take enormous effort to spot the smallest random cloud on the perfectly beautiful sunny day or the rogue wave on the perfectly beautiful calm sea or throw a dart so high it bursts your bubble mid-flight or…
You get the idea.
100% perfection is 100% impossible so why scrutinize the most minute, irrelevant detail as if your perfect latte was not the proper temperature?
It must be such a burden to constantly carry the weight of the pessimist, lurking and waiting to trounce on the best meal, perfect date, or the most idyllic creation or experience.
There is nothing more unnerving than being shadowed by the ‘it was great, but,’ person. Any ‘but’ that follows a positive statement should be banned from the English language! No Buts about it!!
What the ‘F’ people?
Where is the light at the end of the tunnel, the glass that’s half full, the silver lining glistening brightly, the glimmer of hope we find in despair, or the tomorrow is a new day attitude?
Winston Churchill said, “The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty and the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.”
If we face difficulty with abrupt rejection and pessimism, how does one take their next step in life? Most of life’s greatest accomplishments share a foundation rooted in difficulty, despair, challenge, and often face insurmountable odds.
Sign me up! Perseverance and resilience solely exist by virtue of all the above.
Conceiving, writing and finding a publisher for my manuscript Sailing Naked, has been one of the greatest time tested challenges of my life because of the duration from start to finish it has taken, and I’m not even there yet!
Ten years!
Imagine how many times in 10 years I could have thrown in the towel, conceded defeat, or fell on my sword.
Pessimism is nearly exclusively detrimental to the pessimist because of the vise like grip it holds over their future potential and individual growth, an unknown we will never see or realize in them.
No doubt, those around the pessimist suffer too being pulled into the quagmire of doubt and negativity, but like the ‘paper’ smothering the ‘rock,’ optimism prevails.
Our mindsets singlehandedly determine our perspectives, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day and year by year. So much of our own mental health is conceived through the lens with which we approach the world.
Imagine if the pessimist saw the light at the end of the tunnel or the glass half full. Not only would their world shine brightly, but the dust cloud they leave in their wake would disperse. How do you see the world?
Partly sunny or mostly cloudy? Be the optimist that meets the pessimist and shines on their parade.
