Optimism Is Me

According to Oxford Languages, “optimism is the hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.”

(Photo From Pinterest)

I was introduced to this word in the second grade, and it has stuck with me ever since. The uniqueness of the way the word was structured was enough for seven-year-old me to become incredibly interested in it. But beyond how it looked or sounded, its meaning had a much deeper effect on me.

As the years have gone by, optimism is one of the few things that remains in my life. The concept is often misconstrued. Many people think optimism is simply about being positive all the time or pretending everything is perfect — but it’s not that simple. To me, optimism means acknowledging the downsides of life while still being able to push forward and believe that better days are ahead. It’s not just positive or negative; it’s a balance between the two.

I like to consider myself a very optimistic person — in fact, it’s the first trait I’d use to describe myself. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of optimism because it doesn’t measure how competitive you are or how intelligent you might be. To me, optimism isn’t a skill-based trait. It’s always been more of a mindset. Although maintaining optimism consistently does take effort, it’s a more effortless and less stressful “skill” compared to being ambitious or having sharp critical-thinking abilities.

Optimism teaches us patience. It reminds us to value our time and the importance of quality over quantity. I also see it as a form of security. Today may not have been ideal, but instead of letting one bad day define my entire week, I can accept that moment for what it is and move forward with a better mindset. 

It all starts with what you believe. If you convince yourself you’re going to have a bad day, nine times out of ten you will. One error in our morning shouldn’t lead us to generalize the day before we’ve even given ourselves the chance to experience it. If I outline my week with the belief that it will be a great one, then what I believe will come to life. And if situations that I can’t control arise and cloud my judgement, that doesn't mean it was a bad day or week, it was simply a bad moment. My optimism keeps my life steady because it allows me to look toward the future with hope and confidence, no matter what challenges come my way.