Tag: choose optimism

Have you ever had a commercial inspire you? Usually, at least in our house, the commercials were either muted, or the time to go to the bathroom or get another snack. Rarely did we ever pay attention to them. Super Bowl commercials, those are fun to watch, in my opinion much more fun to watch than the actual game. But it seems like the most inspirational ones aren’t on tv very long. That is the case with my all time favorite commercial. It was an AT&T commercial done longer ago than I would care to admit. I only saw it a couple times on tv and then it wasn’t on any more. But the message that I got out of the commercial was something that has stuck with me ever since. And through the magic of YouTube, it’s still accessible. To view this commercial, click here: Commercial

How much in life can we control? We can’t control the weather, and there are few places on earth that have perfect weather all the time. Natural Disasters are ever present around the world. Civil unrest seems to be a more common thing, no matter where you live. Anger and hate seem to be more of the norm than the exception. All those things affect us in different ways. So if we can’t control all that, what can we control, how do we get through difficult times, how do we move forward.

Optimism can exist in any situation. We can’t control everything around us, but we can control our thoughts, our own ideas, who we are, our attitude. Life was never meant to be a walk in the park. We can’t learn from a walk in the park. But we can meet trials head on, with optimism, looking past the challenge and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, even if that light is simply in our mind and doesn’t yet exist in reality. This commercial reminds me that even in the rain we can enjoy life, we can help others enjoy life, we can share ourselves in a positive way, and help others do the same.

Optimism is defined as an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome. Also, a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future: a feeling or belief that what you hope for will happen. Optimism has less to do with what’s happening around you, and more to do with what’s happening inside of you. Optimism can lead to change, whether it be a change inside us, in our location, in our perception of others, etc. But, most importantly, optimism is a state of mind, that is a choice we make everyday. Some people come by it easily, others have a harder time. If we come by it easily, we should share it with others who struggle, help lift others, help them see that light at the end of the tunnel that you see.

What helps me stay positive? Gratitude. Gratitude for my Heavenly Father, gratitude for His Son, my Savior. Gratitude that I can make mistakes, that I can fail, a lot, and that He will help me, that He will change me, that there is something more after this life, that no matter what, I don’t stand alone, ever. Gratitude can be hard, but through gratitude we can see that light at the end of the tunnel that no one else can, we can play our game in the sun or the rain, we can help others enjoy life a little more. The more optimism we can share with others, the brighter the future will be. I hope you can find things you are grateful for, that you can find optimism in your life, and that it will brighten your day. I am grateful that I can write my thoughts here, and that there are a few people who actually read them, I am grateful tonight for you, thank you!