It’s easy to be optimistic about the future if you believe “everything happens for a reason.”
You can explain away whatever occurs in life as a matter of fate, an outsourced event planned by some external force. Life is predestined to play out a certain way, the logic goes, making all events a necessary stepping stone to whatever existence we’re meant to have. This belief system comes with the benefit of hope in a better future, which tempers any potentially negative events that could present themselves along the way. This leaves optimism as the only sensible outlook to have, even if present circumstances seem to indicate otherwise.
I’m an optimistic person, but not for any of those reasons. I’ve always believed we’re each responsible for creating our own reality, which makes it hard for me to accept something just because it’s “meant to be.” Hopes and dreams are a good start, but intention and action pave the road to our future reality. If we want our life to play out a certain way, we have to take some ownership in making it happen.
So why am I optimistic? What makes me believe the future will bring more positive experiences than negative ones?
First, I believe most events will result in positive outcomes for the majority of people involved. This is an extension of my belief that people are good, and generally want to create a better world for themselves and others. If people collectively act with positive intent, it seems reasonable to believe in positive results from their actions.
But let’s say things don’t turn out well. That despite our best intentions, we screw things up and make our lives worse off than they were before. This is where the ability to create our own reality comes into play. We have the power to deal with whatever circumstances come our way, turning what could be a negative situation into one that’s not so bad. We simply deal with whatever’s in front of us, and keep on living life.
Not because it’s part of some predetermined plan, but because we’re resilient.
Belief in positive outcomes, along with our ability to deal with things that don’t go our way. That’s what keeps me optimistic about the future, even if the path is unknown.