An optimistic approach to a realistic world...

There are two categories: Optimist and Pessimist. And then there is me..I am a bit of a rebel..I tend to classify myself as a Realist. This usually leads to raised eyebrows and a shake of the head, but I have learned that it is easy to be optimistic when times are good and pessimistic when they aren't...the really tricky part is in knowing the difference. Thus realism. I believe that it is what it is...shit happens...you wake up and you go to sleep...and in the meantime, people are going to do what they are going to do...probably screwing you in the process. I guess it does seem a tad pessimistic (as I am sitting here typing it out that's how it appears to me)...but it is reality. And another reality is that people don't change..you may want them to, beg them to, try to force it even....but they remain who they choose to be. I say this in the midst of my self awareness journey....my quest to become more peaceful, happier, less judgemental. People don't change..but they can change the way they think. They can change the way they learn. They can change what they keep..and what they leave behind.  That's important.
'It's time for us to discover the secrets of the stars, to sail to an uncharted land, to open up a new heaven where our spirits can soar. But first we have to make changes. And lasting change does not happen overnight. Lasting change happens in infinitesimal increments: a day, an hour, a minute, a heartbeat at a time. Take a deep breath. We're going to become optimists. Now be reassured. Optimism, like the happiness habit, can be learned. Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday. Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it. Let the past go.'
It's all about learning to be positive. It's time for me to redefine my values, reorder my priorities, and accept the challenge of making a virtue out of a necessity. It's time for me to let go of the things that I can't control, the truths I can't change, the people who bring negative to my door. It stops today. No more will I accept unrealistic expectations. No longer am I captive to a reality that moves beyond me. I am releasing the doubt, the fear, the hate that prevents me from attaining knowledge. I am striving for optimism. (Or at least a half full glass...).
"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." Helen Keller. I am off on a voyage of discovery.

...Proverbs 4:7 Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.

Tonight I pray for understanding. I pray that He continues to lead my journey, that He calms the seas of my heart, and that in Him I may find the answers that I seek. I continue to pray for health. I ask for shelter for my loved ones, and peace of mind for the troubles they carry. And, as I have promised to do, I pray for her.
(and thank you dear for the awesome post title this evening....)
Goodnight and God bless.