Optimism is ...

2nd place Optimist Club essay by Mackenzie Mertins, 8th grade:

For me, optimism is the tendency to believe, expect, or hope that good things can happen no matter how bad the situation. I believe good things don’t happen on their own unless you make them happen. If a student desires to make good grades, they will have to work for them. They will need to pay attention in class and make sure they comprehend what is being taught. It is their responsibility to ask questions if they don’t understand. When doing homework they should make sure they know what they are doing and check their answers they shouldn’t just hurry through the assignment to get it done. If a student has a test to study for, they need to concentrate on memorizing the material needed. Another example would be if someone wants to work at a job that’s good for them they need to know what duties are required. It will help them if they are organized and have their priorities in order.

An example of optimism in my life is when my great-grandmother suffered a stroke when I was 9 years old. The doctors said she would likely die and never live a normal full life. I was at a dance competition out of town when the doctor called my mother and explained that there was no hope and to expect her death. When we rushed to the hospital, my great-grandmother could not remember us. We visited her every day and talked to her and told her stories of her life to help her to remember. We prayed for her every day. After the first week she started to look at us when we talked to her. After the second week she could actually remember my mom’s name and talk to her about her childhood. The doctor couldn’t believe the progress she had made in such a short time. She was actually released from the hospital after the third week and is still living in a retirement home today. My family remained optimistic the whole time and tried everything they could to help her remember things and made sure the doctors were doing everything in their power to help her and not just give up on her because she was 89 years old.

A quote about optimism that speaks to me is “I can’t change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to reach the destination,” by Jimmy Dean. I think this quote means that some things in life cannot be changed no matter how hard you try but you can always adjust yourself to obtain your goals. For example, let’s say you are paired up with someone in class that you have never worked with before to work on a project together. You can’t change the fact that this person is your partner but how you respond to this situation is up to you. You can get to know this person and discuss their views as well as your own and come up with a good compromise. By doing this you will reach your goals much easier rather than trying to do the project yourself.

Another quote about optimism is “Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can’t be done,” by Bo Bennett. To me this means asking for help when you can’t do something rather than giving up on it. If you are in a math class and you’re having trouble understanding how to do a really hard section instead of giving up and failing that lesson you should ask your teacher to explain it so you can understand. If you have the attitude that failing is not an option you will have a much better chance at succeeding in life.

To summarize, optimism is the philosophy that things are continually getting better and that good will ultimately triumph over evil. To me this is what my whole Christian beliefs are based on, doing good things for others without the expectation of anything in return. If I practice what is being taught to me in Church, it will help me to make the world a better, happier place to live. If all the world leaders shared this belief in optimism for their people, imagine what a wonderful world this would be.