Favorite Inspiring Quotes
Optimism
Commentary by Peter Shepherd

“Being negative is easy. There will always be a downside to everything good, a hurdle to everything desirable, a con to every pro. The real courage is in finding the good in what you have, the opportunities in every hurdle, the pros in every con.” ~ Carolyn Hax
Optimism is required for any kind of achievement... otherwise, why even start? Your vision provides inspiration and energy. Pessimists have neither. Living in a dream, on the other hand, is unproductive - one needs to continually compare current reality with the vision, as that shows what remains to do. And equally important, compare the current reality with where you began, as that shows what's been achieved.
“In optimism there is magic. In pessimism there is nothing.” ~ Abraham-Hicks
Still, it's important that our optimism is grounded in reality.
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” ~ Helen Keller
Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do, but you can change your mind about that barrier. You can go as far as your mind lets you. Be aware of what you are thinking now and support yourself with a more optimistic vision of the future. When you believe that vision is possible, you stand a good chance of achieving it. Turn your face towards the sun and the shadows fall behind you. As Daisaku Ikeda said, "Hope transforms pessimism into optimism. Hope changes everything."
“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” ~ Lao Tzu
As Nicholas Murray Butler said, "Optimism is essential to achievement. It is also the foundation of courage and true progress."
“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” ~ Harry Truman
Optimism, hope and faith are all needed to create the life you want, the life of your dreams. If you really believe, and act on those beliefs, then anything and everything is possible.

Here’s some further reading on this theme...
Scale the Wall: The Power of Optimism - by Karla Brandau
Optimism is dependent on your view of adversity and the thoughts and feelings you internalize when experiencing a difficulty. How you think and feel changes what you actually do. The good news is this: if optimism and the ability to scale the wall is not one of your natural talents (meaning that adversity creates the adrenaline to climb the wall), it can be learned. Continues...