Optimism.

When I first wrote out optimism, I rolled my eyes because I think it is a concept that feels inauthentic. When people say, “think positively” it makes me think of fake happiness and stuffing the bad under the rug.

So I am here to redefine optimism. I think it is taking a tough situation, working through it and believing that you will come out stronger. It is being handed a shit sandwich and finding a way to compost it into something palatable. It is getting to neutral from negative. It is getting to positive from neutral. It is understanding that with the bad, the difficult, the tough can come the good, the easy and the happiness. It is seeing the clouds, knowing there is rain and believing there is sunshine coming.

I believe that mindset is everything and it is defined by your outlook, your self compassion and your ability to reframe limiting beliefs, thoughts and stories into a mindset that you can get behind. It is waking up feeling tired, out of shape and hopeless during a worldwide pandemic and saying to yourself, “I am doing my best. I am pushing through. I am capable of changing.” Then moving the mindset to “I woke up feeling tired and I am going to go for a walk and look up and find things I am grateful for.”

It is not always easy to think from a place of optimism. Gratitude does not always come naturally. Mindset is a muscle that needs to be flexed. Sometimes you come from a place of negativity and just getting to neutral is what you can do. Better than staying negative and focusing on the hopelessness. Sometimes being grateful that you didn’t yell at your kids is still something to be grateful for. Showing up to a zoom meeting without pants on is still showing up and no one else is the wiser.

What is happening for you that you can put a touch of optimism on? Is it the constant zoom meetings you have that are starting to give you a headache? Can you find something to change the outlook going into the 3 back to back to back meetings? Like playing zoom meeting bingo with a coworker? Loser buys virtual drinks. How about the homeschooling of the kids this fall while working full time? Can you set a schedule that works for everyone that includes breaks and family time? Or maybe alone time is more needed? Is it struggling to get movement into your daily life because gyms are closed and you can’t find a set of dumbells anywhere on Amazon or at local sporting goods stores? Can you find an online class or a group of people to do outdoor socially distanced bodyweight workouts with? Can you change the way you move to be short spurts throughout the day instead of the hour long gym time you are used to?

Whatever it is, do what you can to get to a mindset that sits better with you. A mindset that you can believe in. A mindset that feels good.

You have the choice to choose a more positive outlook or stay with the negativity. I suggest finding a way to choose positive.