24 Jan Happiness in a less than perfect world
Please enjoy the following happiness related article written by Lou Tice, The Pacific Institute (www.thepacificinstitute.com).
Are optimists people who just don’t see the pain and suffering in the world, or is something else going on? Let’s talk about optimism in a less than perfect world.
Do you know anyone who is a pessimist because they claim that it’s just being “realistic?” They seem to feel that because the world contains murderers and molesters, and because war, famine and injustice are common, it is simpleminded to take an optimistic view.
Now, I agree that it is simpleminded to try to live as if the world contained no pain or injustice. Recent events in a number of hotspots around the world prove that. But remember, the practical optimists of the world rarely lead lives untouched by suffering.
Saint Paul, for example, wrote his remarkable letter about joy to the Philippians while he was in a Roman jail awaiting, as far as he knew, execution.
Dr. Viktor Frankl, who lived through three years in concentration camps during World War II, tells us that the survivors were often not the ones who were physically strongest, but rather those who found reasons to live with integrity in the midst of horror and death.
You see, optimism is a choice we make with our eyes wide open. It is a choice that enables us to live with purpose and hope, no matter what the circumstances. When you make that choice, day after day, year after year, you will be standing with St. Paul, Dr. Frankl and many others on the side of transformation and hope – a truly great place to be!