OPTIMISM: THE BEDROCK OF RESILENCE

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OPTIMISM: According to Cambridge dictionary, Optimism is the quality of being full of hope and emphasizing the good parts of a situation, or a belief that something good will happen.
I will simply say; Optimism means being positive or having a positive mind-set. The opposite of optimism is pessimism which means the belief that bad things will happen.

WHILE

RESILENCE: According to Cambridge dictionary, Resilience is the ability to be happy, successful etc after something bad has happened.

Optimism gives us resilience, it helps a person to see challenges and obstacles as great opportunities to learn, grow and become better. The most relevant quality you need for success is OPTIMISM. Optimism is not just a trait that is a being inherited. It is an attitude or mind-set that is developed gradually by always looking at the bright side of life. Whenever we are faced with difficulties, challenges, setbacks, adversity etc being optimistic in situations like these gives us the resilience to emerge stronger and better. You cannot be resilient with a negative mind-set. For you to bounce back in the storm, you need to look at the good parts of the situation, stay positive and you will come out stronger.

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HOW TO BUILD OPTIMISM IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
It is quite easy to wake up and say ‘I can do it’! ‘I am strong’! ‘I am brave’! etc. All these is easier said than done, you need to habitually practise being positive.
Here are some steps that could help build optimism and make you resilient in the face of adversity:

 To Remain Optimistic You Must Control And Discipline Your Thought: Be careful of the thoughts that flows through your mind, if you give room for any negative thought it will weigh you down. Even the Bible says in proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it comes the issues of life”. When things go wrong, refuse to feel sorry for sorry for yourself. Remember you are not a victim. You are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Setbacks are nothing but speed bumps on the road to our achievements and success. So always stay positive.

 **Do Not Make Excuses: **It is either you do it or you don’t but never make excuses. Failures make up excuses, they are pessimists. Winners keep making progress because they are optimist. Whenever you feel like settling for the less, whenever you blame people always and keep complaining, remember that making excuses is meant for losers.

 ** Focus On The Good Part Of Every Challenging Situation:** Don’t keep complaining. The fact that it is not working out now doesn’t mean it is not possible. You can always change the situation when you focus on the relevance and not on the pitfalls. Always see difficulties as opportunities for greater achievements.

 **Always Find Solution To Problems: **when I was in high school, I can vividly remember learning this particular phrase from my father, anytime I complain to him about my problems, his first response is always “What do you think is the solution to your problems”. He taught me how to always focus on solutions to problems and not on the problem itself. He always tell me “Beloved, always look for solutions and don’t dwell too much thinking about the problem”, this alone kept re-echoing in my mind even though I am far away from him. Whenever I am faced with difficulties I tend to equally find solutions to them. That is the mind-set of an optimistic person. Be a solution maker and not a complainer.

 **Learn From Mistakes: **learning from people mistakes and your mistakes makes you stronger, they make you experienced enough to face other challenges. People who don’t make mistakes tend to be less experienced.

 Perseverance: Do not give up too easily, the fact that you are facing a challenging situation does not mean it is over. Be persistent in doing what you do provided you are doing the right thing. Each time you feel you cannot hold it any longer, always remember Thomas Edison, he failed 1000 times but yet he did not give up. He persevered and was optimistic till he finally came up with an electric bulb which we all use today. Do not give up, look at the light at the end of the tunnel.

My dear friends, I understand that staying optimistic might not be quite easy but yes we can. Stay positive and you will emerge stronger than you could ever imagine.

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