Optimists and Realists
This is a wonderful article by Lou Tice about the power of optimism in the face of pain and suffering.
Jerry
Winner’s Circle Network with Lou Tice - 1/5/05 - “Optimists”
Are optimists people who just don’t see the pain and suffering in the world, or is something else going on? Let’s talk about optimism in a less than perfect world.
Do you know anyone who is a pessimist because they claim that it’s just being “realistic?” They seem to feel that because the world contains murderers and molesters, and because war, famine and injustice are common, it is simpleminded to take an optimistic view.
Now, I agree that it is simpleminded to try to live as if the world contained no pain or injustice. Recent events in Southeast Asia prove that. But remember, the practical optimists of the world rarely lead lives untouched by suffering.
Saint Paul, for example, wrote his remarkable letter about joy to the Philippians while he was in a Roman jail awaiting, as far as he knew, execution.
Dr. Viktor Frankl, who lived through three years in concentration camps during World War II, tells us that the survivors were often not the ones who were physically strongest, but rather those who found reasons to live with integrity in the midst of horror and death.
You see, optimism is a choice we make with our eyes wide open. It is a choice that enables us to live with purpose and hope, no matter what the circumstances. When you make that choice, day after day, year after year, you will be standing with St. Paul, Dr. Frankl and many others on the side of transformation and hope - a truly great place to be!
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com
“TPI teaches people how to manage change, set and achieve goals, lead more effectively, and think in ways that create success.”
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