Optimism — Blog — Courage to Caregivers

Half of the Glass Is Empty, and Half of It Is Full

"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."

~ William A. Ward

Do you think of yourself as an optimist or a pessimist, or something in between? This week’s topic is all about that space in between – a concept called realistic optimism – which we believe is a more positive and productive space to be in, rather than pure optimism or pure pessimism.

While optimism is an attitude that focuses solely on hope and confidence that everything will turn out for the best, and pessimism focuses on just the things that could go wrong, a realistic optimist is someone who recognizes the negative aspects of life but who also does not become consumed by that negativity. An attitude of realistic optimism allows for a growth mindset, and problems become challenges to overcome, not roadblocks.

TenacityKristi HornerSeptember 14, 2023Realistic Optimism, Optimism

Realistic Optimism Is Strategic Optimism

“Optimism is not a denial of the current state. It’s a belief that the future is bright,

but it accepts current darkness.” – Simon Sinek

As we focus on attitudes this month, we need to be aware that the way we view problems and achieve growth is strongly impacted by the way we look at the world. This week’s theme – realistic optimism – is one way we can look at the challenges of the present and the potential of the future to help us solve our personal problems, learn from our mistakes, and build on our opportunities for growth. In other words, it allows us to be resilient.

AttitudeKristi HornerSeptember 15, 2022Realistic Optimism, Optimism

Getting Real

When we have an attitude of realistic optimism, it helps us develop a growth mindset by looking at problems as challenges that we can overcome, not roadblocks that prevent us from meeting our goals. This enables us to realistically evaluate the situation, productively explore the solutions that are available to us, and rationally accept the outcome even if it doesn’t fully meet our expectations.