The Power of Optimism

There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist. ~Mark Twain

You’re in the pick up line, and your child gets into the car. Out of habit you ask the question you will later regret: “So, how was your day?” What usually follows is a litany of all the negative things that have transpired in the last 7 hours. Someone didn’t play with him today like they did yesterday, her juice leaked out of her thermos and completely ruined her day, it was the worst day in all of humanity because he missed the last question on the pop quiz or the boy next to her will not quit annoying and her school year is doomed to misery.

To be sure, there will always be less than perfect circumstances in life. And as a mom, I must ask myself what do I want to teach my children how to react to them? I have just two choices: pessimism or optimism. How they look at the world effects not just their outlook, but future friendships and self confidence. I think it helps them to look beyond seeing just the problem, having a different perspective and even finding other solutions. Optimism can be the stepping stone to from self sabotage to self empowerment.

So from now on, our conversations will start with “I am soooo glad to see you! What were the three best things of your day today?” And then we can talk about the less than perfect part of their day. As a mom, I want to hear about their daily struggles and help them problem solve rather than get lost in them.

What do you think?