Think Flavor: Perspective Meter

Here's the thing about optimism.  It's best served when personal.

Ever since childhood, I've loved drawing my thoughts. When I think of castles, I draw one. I think of princesses, I draw... not just one. Now my thoughts may have matured (as I like to believe, but not a guarantee), I started to have more substantial ideas but still always considered that drawing makes it easier to understand.

Here's what I call....My Perspective Meter.

    I see things on a spectrum, at least I try. The left side would be the negative side, and the right - the positive. The middle would be reality. This spectrum could be flawed (this is just a result of my trickling thoughts. Plus, this is not in any way an accurate spectrum) but I thought about it and came up with this graphic to explain that neither our positive nor negative thinking, are true. In other words, both sides are just possibilities or a potential color to reality. Mere possibilities. They only exist in the idea of a person thinking about something, or someone, or some place. The reality is in the middle. Void of negative and positive. The spectrum moves when we put interpretations about the reality. Clearly, if we see something positively, it moves to the right, vice versa. 

What does this mean to me, then? What could this mean to you?

Significantly, it guides me when it comes to deciding how to respond to a certain reality. This makes sense because this spectrum gives me an indifferent way to solve certain matters. In that way, I try to be not too emotion-driven and more facts-driven. It's more like a correct usage of head space in overwhelming times *wink because it's true*. 

"I just lost the competition I've prepared for for 3 years." This is reality.

"...but I'm good. I am not defined by my failures anyway." This is optimism (as a flavor to reality but not a solution).

"...so I'm basically a fraud. I didn't deserve to represent the school anyway." Pessimism (as a flavor to reality but not a solution).

Being positive helps in many ways, but there is good in pessimism especially when circumstances need the step back. It really depends.

When I said that optimism is best served personal, it means optimism isn't something you impose on a person. You can't say, "Be positive!" and expect the person to feel energized. Optimism is a happy childhood picture you find in your photo albums. You feel its presence when you see it for yourself. Now this concept could have been common sense, but some people actually fail to understand. That's why Toxic Optimism came through, and now it's even more difficult to define optimism.  For me, Toxic Optimism is positive thinking imposed (not naturally discovered) and given out of context. Optimism is a personal take on the matter.

Optimism is only a flavor to the solution - not the solution. Optimism can be a trap, so much like pessimism, since both are just possibilities. Imagine being in a rut or a failure, then offering oneself no solution but to think positive. The flavor is there but the solution is nowhere. It makes the difference if a person struggling in something takes the time to soak in one's misery, then when ready, find a solution. One step further, add a flavor to it. It really is up to us if it's positive or negative. It's really also up to us how far along we will stand on the spectrum.

So in the situation given above, the best manifestation of positive thinking is this:

"I failed to achieve my goal. Still, I did everything I can do. Sometimes it's just not enough. I'll move on and definitely do better, take this as a story to tell and keep, and if there's anything, this added years to my character. Next time, I won't let my emotions get in the way, and study smarter."

There's the (1) acknowledgement of the unfortunate event, (2) recognition of the effort (because I really poured my heart into that competition), and the (3) solution to move on and a concrete way to be better. The (4) flavor of the solution is positive because I actually moved on feeling better about myself.

When does thinking negatively become a positive thing?

Learning the line of "okay" and "not okay" is adaptation. We know good things may happen, but bad things can be happening in your life now and you may not even notice with all the positive flavor you put in it. Knowing your boundaries will help you move your response to reality from middle to a reasonable left or right, and then be able to respond accordingly. Responding negatively may lead to positive outcomes too! 

Why am I telling you this?

1.) I just really want to. 

2.) Maybe you needed to read it as said by destiny.

3.) Maybe you just needed a validation over your self-doubts. Someone to assure you that wherever you are in your life, when you've decided to look after your well-being (good solution!), this post is here to say that I am positive you will be better; just as long as your solution doesn't mean hurting others.

Anyway, my thoughts end here. At this point, everything is just a spiral.

written by: Camille Angela Cadacio