Is your attitude worth catching?

Poster courtesy of The Foundation for a better life

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. - Helen Keller

Have you seen the movie The Pursuit of Happyness?

Whenever I think life is handing me crap, I think of this story. The story of young, single, broke father who wouldn't let anyone or anything stop him from achieving his dream of changing careers and changing his life forever, including homelessness with a 4-year-old.

It's a very inspiring true story.

My favorite quote from the movie comes when Will Smith (Chris Gardner) is playing basketball with his son and after telling his son not to aspire to be a basketball player, he stops, looks at his son and says, "Never let anyone tell you can't do something, including me. Do you hear me? You can be anything you want to be. Don't ever let anyone tell you different."

Growing up I was told I could be anything and that I could do anything I wanted to as long I was willing to work hard enough to actually get there. I am not sure I ever really believed my parents.

At least not until I actually tried.

Let's take school, for example.

I knew I was smart enough to make good grades. I was even optimistic I would make good grades. But through high school I was only ever slightly above average never averaging better than B's. I was satisfied because B's were pretty good considering the amount of effort I gave, which was close to none most of the time. It wasn't until my junior year in college that I realized I was actually capable of straight A's. Had anything changed? No. I was still not the smartest girl in class but I worked harder and actually realized that school isn't about natural ability it is about learning new things. It's sad that it took 15 years of school to finally figure it out.

Who knew what my parent's had preached for ages was actually true?

I could be anything I wanted to be as long as I was willing to put in the effort, had the confidence to actually try and hoped for a better result.

If you would have told me at 15-years-old that I would graduate college with a degree in Mathematics I would have asked you what in the world you were smoking and then I would have bent over in hysterical laughter because that right there is some funny stuff. Me? Mathematics?

I suppose the biggest downfall to my parents telling me I could be anything is that I didn't have any idea who or what I wanted to be. And for the record I guess I still don't. Sure I want to be a good person and mother. A good wife and daughter. A good sister and friend. Is there really anything more important than that? I am still searching.

The optimism that I could be anything or do whatever I want seems to be fading as the years pass by.

But, my husband is a whole different story.

My husband is hopelessly optimistic with a whole lot of hard work and dedication to back it up. He believes he'll be as successful as he ever dreamed of being when he was just a boy back on the farm. And do you know what? He will be.

Optimism is remarkable. It is as remarkable as someones faith in the Lord. It is as remarkable as someone recovering from Cancer. It is as remarkable as someone beating the odds when the odds are stacked against them.

Optimism is something I want my kids to have.
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