Best Self Magazine

Mature Optimism: Balancing Beauty, Tragedy and Hope in a Complicated World

Mature Optimism: Balancing Beauty, Tragedy and Hope in a Complicated World by Solomon D Stevens, PhD. Photograph of a hand holding a glowing ball of light by Tatum Bergen
Photograph by Tatum Bergen

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

What is optimism? Thinking happy thoughts? Denying our dark feelings? Or something richer and more complex?

As we think about the transition into a new year, I have to ask myself: will this one be better? One of my Facebook friends is always posting about how we should be positive and always have a good attitude. He says that “we create our own reality” and all we need to do is believe things are good and they will be good. This may be right for him, but I just can’t feel that way.

I think the bad things I experience are bad whether or not I want them

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