A Case for Optimism...

My mom and I both believe we are basically optimistic people though everyone we've ever known or met would scoff and laugh in our faces.

SO I think it's time to define our terms here.

Hmm.

Dictionary.com's definition: 1.disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.

Hmm.

This is complicated.

Perhaps what my mom and I are are closet optimists.

Here is the line I'm drawing between what we (by we I mean all of you who think I'm not optimistic) normally accept as optimism and what my mom and I practice: it's not as if we see people and circumstances with rose - colored glasses.

We don't do that at all, well, I don't do that. (Though my mom is a bit more traditional in her optimism believing in the best of people as a philosophy even though she doesn't actually believe in the best of people even though she thinks she does.) We don't cross the street without looking both ways and we don't think murderers are redeemed because they were once abused children. Nope, we just happen to know that bad things can and do happen to good people and they can happen unexpectedly.

However, we don't assume those bad thing will happen to us, in fact, we assume they won't - we are simply aware of the different possibilities out there, what's so negative about that?

We would say it prepares us just in case the worst were to happen, but we don't actually expect it! We actually expect everything to go... pretty medium. But we are not surprised when things go spectacular. And we do not fall apart if things go to crap.

This is all stemming from an Oprah repeat today on Happiness in which I scored 34.5 out of a 35 perfect happy points (I could probably say 35 out of 35 but I didn't want to sound Pollyannaish). And I don't think a pessimistic person would feel that way about their life.

The quiz for determination was (from Oprah.com):

How satisfied are you? To find out, read the following five statements. Then, use the 1–7 scale to rate your level of agreement and add your answers together. 1 = Not at all true 4 = Moderately True 7 = Absolutely True In most ways, my life is close to ideal. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The conditions of my life are excellent. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I am satisfied with my life. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 So far I have gotten the important things I want in life. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ha. If you do the above quiz and click submit it will take you to the little Oprah blurb about it.

My point being - whatever we are - (or I'll start speaking for myself now even though I'd guess my mom would score the same - except for her job), I am totally satisfied with my daily life, my general life, my choices in life, and uh the conditions I live in. I think a classic pessimist wouldn't be. Of course money uncertainties are the only thing that pushed my perfect satisfaction down a notch and it's only a notch because our money issues, though scary, aren't bad, just uncertain.

And whatever WE are - uncertainty is not something we are fond of.

SO, after some research I don't think I can say I'm an optimist with a straight face. However, I'm certainly not a pessimist! I might not be positive, but I'm not exactly not positive.

I mean, I don't actually think the mountain is going to fall down on our house... but I think about if it did, would there be anything I could do... You know? Sigh.

Why does this sound so familiar? I've just put this in a blog somewhere haven't I? Oh well. You all probably weren't paying enough attention *snort* *chuckle*