Are You An Optimist or a Pessimist?

When I was a kid I read an essay that said that pessimists are the lucky people.  The theory was that most things are disappointing which gave away the author.  He went on to say that optimists are continually disappointed.  If the plane lands a half an hour late, the optimist is disappointed.  If it lands safely, the pessimist is delighted.  Since it is late much more often than it doesn’t land, the pessimist is set up for a lot of happy times.

However, I tend towards optimism.  That is not to say that I don’t have the normal amount of anxiety and fear, or days of just wondering how I am going to do it: but I am an optimist.

I have feared that we wouldn’t get the right help for Dad, but I really knew that we would.  I worry about money, but know we will find it.

Optimism has worked for me.  Yesterday, I had a great day planned.  My appointments were lined up perfectly, five of them and I would be able to be home early.  Yea!  Then after #3 I couldn’t get my car out of park.  This had happened a few times, but I messed with it and I went.  Not this time.  I had to call a tow truck, glad that I had renewed by AAA.  He got it started so that I could drive to my mechanic, it took an hour and $40.  So what’s to be optimistic about?  Well, it didn’t happen when I was in the middle of no where.  The two missed appointments could be resceduled. The truck came quick and while I was waiting to fix it, I went to Third Place for lunch and met someoneI hadn’t seen in months.

There!  I was right.  Now, I could have looked at this from a pessimisitc perpectic.  Would I have been better off?

What do you think?  Is it possible to become more optimisstic, assuming you want that.

Me?  I think that it helps me with the task at hand.  Even if I’m wrong.