Optimism

The other day I was listening to an episode of iWeigh with Jameela Jamil with Doctor Deepika Chopra as her guest.

They were talking about what optimism means. Most people, when they hear the word "optimism" will probably associate it with "positivity". The way doctor Deepika Chopra interprets optimism felt much more encompassing to me. She described it as a combination of resiliency (overcoming struggle) and curiosity. Upon hearing that, I felt heard. When I was younger I always tried to be and present as positive as possible, so I would be accepted by others. That also meant that I felt shame whenever I felt down for no specific reason and even if I had my reasons.

Now that I'm older and becoming more aware of my own behavior, I'm trying to be as open as I can about my mental health around close friends and loved ones. At times that makes me feel like I am "being negative again" or not positive enough, even though I still consider myself as a rather optimistic person on the whole. Hearing Doctor Deepika Chopra explain how she defined optimism really hit close to home for me. It isn't about being positive all the time, but rather about recognizing and learning, growing from past experiences. Without recognition I would've never become more resilient. I would've never overcome the shame I had around the grief and loss I was feeling for such a long time. I would've never been able to move on from the past. Not to leave it behind forever, but as a building block for what is to come. Recognition, however uncomfortable or "negative", allowed me to be curious about the future again and helped me to start dreaming about what lies ahead.

Optimism doesn't mean you have to act positive all the time. It means you can allow what currently is, without it shattering your outlook on what is to come.

Tears have just as much right to exist as smiles, folx! They both help to relieve tension so let's allow all the feels haha :)

#iweigh #jameelajamil #drdeepikachopra #knittedpuppet #optimism #snow #hopeful #smilesandtears #dreamingisimportsies

[image description 1: Marcel, in a snowy landscape, blurry in the background, starring at green leaves on a branch in focus in front of them. // 2: Same scenery but now Marcel is in focus and the leaves are blurry.]

I will post the link to the episode on optimism here. I recommend listening to all of the iWeigh episodes, as Jameela Jamil invites such interesting guests every time. Important conversations take place every time.