Smiling Over the Hurt
"Optimism is the madness of maintaining that everything is right when it is wrong."
- Voltaire
A positive outlook is important, but this doesn't mean we should live in a fantasy world and ignore all problems. It just means we don't let the "wrong" things in life lead us to despair. Every community has problems, and they can be extremely disheartening. Take violence, for instance. It is a deplorable thing to be afraid to go out in your community because it is held hostage by violence. A person living in a fantasy world cannot handle the problem and will pretend not to notice it. A despairing person will claim that the problem has destroyed the community. An optimist will look at the community as say yes, violence is a significant problem, but our community can come together and eradicate this problem. Start attending community meetings. Start talking to your neighbors, and work with and help each other. Even when everything seems wrong, an optimist knows that all is not lost.
TODAY I WILL BE A REALIST AND AN OPTIMIST.