"Optimism is very different than being positive and it is certainly not naive."
As you may know, this blog, that I enjoy so much, has been a place for me to deliver information about the wonderful place that I call home - Eureka Springs, AR.
The core values of this blog are:
Cultivating Community.
Making Memories.
Curating Culture.
Spreading Joy and Love.
Living Well.
For those of you that know me, you know that I am an unshakable optimist. This blog is also unshakably optimistic. Strangely, many people think that optimism is naive.
It is not.
While optimism differs greatly from being positive, it is not a denial of reality. At times, especially with social media (and the filters within social media) positivity can sometimes be about saying things or portraying things that are good - even when they are not.
"Everything is fine here."
"Nothing to see here."
(Filter, Filter. Filter. Filter.)
"Everything is good. We're good. All is good"
Optimism doesn't do this.
So, what is optimism exactly?
"Optimism, to me, is the belief that the best is yet to come. The future holds much for all of us." John-Michael Scurio
Sure, absolutely, there is no doubt - we are going through a hard time right now.
Times are tough. Rough. Dark!
But we WILL get through this - together!
This very mindset, my friends, is optimism,
Optimism is not the denial of what is. For what happens to us as humans on a negative scale is exactly what makes us far more appreciative, thankful and grateful for the many gifts we receive on a positive scale. If it were not for those negative experiences in our life, we would not understand the power of the positive experiences.
Every day, in my home, I wake and walk into the kitchen to prepare and consume my breakfast; and when I do, I take a moment to enjoy this view from the patio window.
O U R L O V E S I G N.
Right in my backyard, my husband and I publicize and perpetuate LOVE with these simple letters.
Everyone, in our opinion, should perpetuate LOVE. We only have two choices - choose from love or choose from fear!
We found these four letters in Alpena, Arkansas and we bought them - immediately. We put them in our backyard in Eureka Springs, and voila!
We do not pretend that things are OK when they are not. We work through what we can control and move swiftly past what we cannot control.
But we ALWAYS love - no matter what!!!!
Fundamentally, optimism is about the belief that there IS a light at the end of the tunnel and we are all headed in that same direction.
AND. IT. IS. GREAT!
The best is yet to come, my friends.
Do not be discouraged by what you read, see and hear. Feel it in your heart.
You are LOVE.