The Optimist

I remember when, as a boy, a television commercial read: “Optimism is the scent of life”. There was a grandfather, played by the poet Tonino Guerra, with his grandson who were very nice; then, along my own journey, I found myself in those words. So I looked for that commercial: it was a campaign in the early 2000s that inflected that claim into several slogans – Living with optimism you get to be 100 years old, Optimism cannot die, Optimism is contagious, Laughing multiplies optimism, Optimism flies – in my opinion, one more meaningful than the other, but above all timeless. 

In the small or big projects that we carry out every day we necessarily come across some difficulties, but being optimistic means not shying away from them. As US psychologist Alan Loy McGinnis suggests, optimists succeed because they see themselves as problem solvers; when an attempt fails, they simply choose another path. There is always a different possibility to achieve the goal, drawing on the different alternatives one has in mind to achieve the desired result. It is necessary to search, to try, to experiment, until a solution proves to be truly effective. 

I consider myself an optimist; this positive and confident attitude of mine is certainly made easier by the fact that I do what I enjoy and feel fulfilled. Like all optimists, I try to enjoy the small and simple things that everyday life offers: the smile of a loved one, the sight of a beautiful landscape, a dinner in good company. Common situations are too often taken for granted, while optimists have the ability to appreciate them as gifts to be grateful for, indulging in the present the sensations that such simple moments arouse.

Optimism is a quality that must be continually nourished, needing constant energy recharge. To foster my optimism, I look for positive people to connect with, possibly avoiding those who complain all the time, emanating negativity; I try to get to know and hang out with new people, from whom I can learn and enrich myself intellectually, emotionally and spiritually; I bring freshness to my established habits. These are simple tricks that can significantly contribute to injecting new energy into your reality, nourishing a positive and confident attitude.

I agree with what Alan Loy McGinnis points out: “Those who consciously or unconsciously take steps to neutralise personal entropy keep optimism alive and foster enthusiasm even as the years go by”. 

So, why not try?