Benjamin Franklin once said, “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”
In the face of adversity, individuals who continue to hold pleasant and favorable expectations for their future are noted for their optimistic mental approach. To be optimistic does not entail you to ignore and overlook your realities but confronting fear and uncertainty with courage and conviction in your abilities.
A “glass half-full” standpoint allows you to shape empathy to nurture your empathic relationships and build resilience to understand the meaning behind challenges.
Optimism in Nurturing Empathic Relationships
Optimism is cultivated and shared. Srivastava and his colleagues (2006) found that an optimist’s view may stand as a buffer against negative attributions in close relationships. Operating through adversity with optimism, we provide a reliable source of support that drives our partners to feel more satisfied in the relationship and motivated to pursue their personal goals.
In our relationships, optimism calls us to accept our emotions and selflessly empathize with others. In hardship, we are inspired to evaluate difficulties that challenge us to take on an enlightened mental approach that empowers and brings peace to the people around us.
Optimism in Building Resiliency
Failure and disappointment drive the search for hope and meaning that redirect us towards purposeful. Everyday obstacles make it easy to anticipate only displeasing outcomes for the future, but optimism calls you to recover readily from challenging situations repeatedly.
Optimism dares you to be more resilient to magnify your skills and improve your weaknesses. It extensively presents what strength you hold to face adversity, trauma, and tragedy that shakes your sense of control in life.
Optimism is never a subtle presentation of weakness but a distinct presentation of courage, strength, and confidence amid tragedies. One’s commitment to be optimistic does not only encourage a hopeful and confident outlook. Still, it enables us to shape our capacity to be empathic in our relationships and to build resiliency in search of hope and meaning.
