Thursday, August 18, 2011

.... of Optimism and Pessimism

This photo was shot when the dark rain bearing clouds were descending on Tongle Sap in Cambodia. The rain renews life in the lake, extending its frontier, revitilizing aquatic lives and refreshes the water.

According to Corrie Ten Boom, if a bird is flying for pleasure, it flies with the wind, but if it meets danger it turns and faces the wind, in order that it may rise higher. Kites also rise the highest against the wind and not to mention, airplanes take off against the wind, not with it. As they say, some see the hole in the donut and others the ring.

When confronted with a Goliath-sized problem, which way do you respond : " He's too big to hit" or like David, "He's too big to miss ?"

Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) has been dragging on with the baggage of pessimisms all along his life. Y S is always prepared for the worse, the very, very worst. If the car could carry 2 spare wheels, Y S would carry them. If RM1.00 is enough, Y S would carry RM2 or RM3, just in case. And living with " in case" is very heavy and draggy. Looking at the black side of life wouldn't not disappoint Y S, and he would be cheerful if it doesn't work out. So, Y S could call himself a "cheerful pessimist." But not anymore.

As life is at the threshold of 60 years, a reorientation in one's outlook is a blessing. To be able to see things more clearly or as they should be viewed. According to Albert Schweitzer, " An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the stoplight. THE TRULY WISE PERSON IS COLOUR-BLIND. "

Tomorrow is not another day but another chance. The night has fallen, no doubt, but morning will soon come. Optimists are possibilitarians .No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, they raise their sight and see the possibilities and they always see them because they are always there. " The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunities, the optimist sees the opportunities in every difficulties." Winston Churchill. Remember that the same sun that melts butter also harden the clay.

However, an optimist may be wrong as often as the pessimist, but he has a lot more fun anyway. So, the optimist laughs to forget BUT the pessimist forgets to laugh.



2 comments:

Thomas C B Chua said...

Joseph, thanks for your insightful comment. You are very thoughtful. I plan to visit India for the first time, what months would be the best?

footiam said...

It is okay to be a pessimist. You have a reason not to act.