Glass Half Full - Optimism
We’ve all heard the adage of the glass half full or half empty. It’s about how we see life, right? Are we optimistic or pessimistic? My husband says he’s not a pessimist, but a realist. I just laugh. For me, when I look at a glass that’s either half empty or half full of liquid, I’m just happy there’s something in the glass.
Life is indeed defined by how we look at things. Our moods govern our thoughts. If we are constantly looking at things with negativity, then our outlook will be bleak and pessimistic.
Have you watched the news lately? It is full of what is meant to be sensational. Our news media has become an entertainment industry more than an informational one. But there is always a feel-good piece at the very end of the broadcast. They want to leave us feeling a little bit of hope.
If we look objectively at the world around us, there is always some good news; something encouraging is happening if we look for it. Today, there are negative things all around, so we have to look for the good.
I believe that people are still inherently good. The thugs and gang bangers are products of their upbringing (or lack of) and environment. Put them in a different family and situation, and their outcome would likely be very different.
I’m reminded of the movie Trading Places from the 80’s. Two rich codgers bet each other a dollar that by taking a homeless con artist off the street and trading his environment with a rich, successful man (and vice versa), each man would adapt to his surroundings. So they commence with their “experiment”. The rich, successful man becomes what the homeless man was, and the other becomes quite successful. It’s a terrible premise. But the two men figure out what is going on and turn the tables on the two codgers, making them both penniless and homeless.
There is good in the world, and it’s everywhere. Yes, there are bad and ill-intentioned people too, but I maintain that the good still outweighs the bad.
Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Romans 12:9
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