Categories
Attitude motivation

How Do You Stay Optimistic in a Pessimist’s World?

Have you ever noticed that when someone is in a bad mood, they’re rarely interested in a dose of optimism?

My family was getting ready for a spring break trip. For whatever reason, my wife was having a bad day. It’s entirely possible I wasn’t doing my share of the preparation. It could be that the kids were tired and grumpy. For whatever reason, she seemed to be down and I decided it was my duty to cheer her up.

  • I tried silly jokes
  • I tried making humorous observations about the crazy drivers
  • I tried countering every negative comment with some wisecrack
  • I tried counting our blessings
  • I even tried making a silly face and getting right up to hers

The last one was a big mistake. Even though we were married, I voided her personal space. There’s only so much my poor wife could take. I went from being a purveyor of good, clean fun to just being obnoxious and annoying. She snapped. I realized my mistake and began to pout.

Minutes later, I noticed something. She was in a much better mood and I was the one in the dumps. My efforts worked, just not in the way I expected. She poured the glass of optimism all over me and she felt much better.

So how do you stay optimistic in a world that isn’t having any of it? I learned three lessons that day.

  • It is unwise to base your feelings on the emotions of someone else, even those closest to you
  • Being annoyingly optimistic and obnoxious about it can only irritate others
  • When someone closest to you is down, it’s sometimes best to give them the space to feel their emotions

We ended up having a great trip. I learned a valuable lesson about relationships. And yes, we both have learned a lot about optimism over the years.

Cartoon of an angry girl and a drenched boy
Categories
relationship cartoons

Cartoon: She Loves Chocolates

Cartoon of someone throwing Valentine chocolates at a man

Cartoon of a man talking to another while a box of Valentine chocolates hurls towards them. The man says, “When she sees my Valentine gift to her, she’ll forget our fight. She can’t resist chocolate!”

I can’t recall this actually happening to me, though I probably deserved it more than once. I am thankful for my valentine of twenty-six years. I promise not to start a fight today, or in the near futureā€¦ if I can help it!

Happy Valentine’s Day!