[CHAT] Spring is Sprung! Spring cleaning for your brain.
Ah September, the beginning of spring. The sunshine is starting to come back, the
weather is warming up, and flowers are in bloom… You know how that sounds to
me? No, not like the beginning of the end for all of us fellow allergy sufferers, it
sounds like a pretty good time for some optimism!
Now most of us know that optimism is about having a generally positive outlook
on life, which when you say it like that sounds like a bit of a no-brainer that we
should all have a bit of it in our lives. Unfortunately, sometimes it can be pretty
difficult to be optimistic about things, maybe because there are bad or stressful
things going on for us or there are people around us who don’t make us feel good
about ourselves. Having moments in life where you feel sad, angry or worried
are totally valid and healthy things to experience, but they can become an issue
when they take over how you view the world.
In a world that in many ways in becoming increasingly cynical, some people even
think that being optimistic is a bad thing! These people say that being optimistic
isn’t realistic and that by trying to look at the positives we ignore the bad things
that are happening in the world. I agree that we can’t walk around happy and
smiling all the time, pretending that the negative things we feel and experience
aren’t there.
A little bit of optimism can go a long way though. Working to change our
thought patterns to be more positive through things like self-talk can be hugely
beneficial, especially for people experiencing mental health issues like
depression and anxiety.
Who's winning in your head, Optimist prime or Negatron? Want to learn a bit more about optimism and how we can have more of it in our everyday lives? Awesome!!!
Come and join us at 8pm AEST on Monday the 14th September where we’ll chat about positive thinking and what it can do for our
mental health.
@AllyJane i think it's super normal to be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to optimism VS pessimism. it's hard though when you struggle to be optimistic about yourself. it can make you feel down! but it's awesome that you recognise this and are working on it.
hopefully you have a friend who helps you with optimistic advice when you need it!
I think accepting things is the key, things that can not be changed. Our feelings should only initiate our action, they should not find a refuge in our head and stay there forever.
1. We’ve all heard the phrase “a glass half full” before when talking about optimism, but that doesn’t cover all of what it can be. What does optimism mean to you?
I guess its just about trying to see the light in things, especially when things are a little tough. Positive outcomes shape our perspective on a situation, and sometimes it can be used as a bit of a coping mechanism which can in turn shape how the situation turns out!
I see the glass as half full of air and half full of water. Like... the way things are, not too bad or too good. I think you can be too optimistic as much as you can be too pessimistic. You got to see it just the way it is.
Hi everyone!
Tonight we are going to be chatting about OPTIMISM! This is a really interesting topic because for some people optimism might come naturally, and for some it might be a little bit harder - or you may only feel optimistic about certain things! So I can't wait to see what you think about our chat tonight and i'm hoping you all get involved in answering the questions we have for you 
The chat tonight will be moderated by me (lanejane) and @bessie94. We’d like you to remember to have a read of the community guidelines before starting and remember that if you feel at any point like you need to take a break or talk to someone we have a section for emergency help.
Our first question for tonight is:
1. We’ve all heard the phrase “a glass half full” before when talking about optimism, but that doesn’t cover all of what it can be. What does optimism mean to you?
Hey @lanejane hey @Chessca_H
1. We’ve all heard the phrase “a glass half full” before when talking about optimism, but that doesn’t cover all of what it can be. What does optimism mean to you?
Optimism means a lot of things to me. I guess the trickiest thing for me sometimes is not so much seeing the positive side of things which i reckon i do okay, but then i can focus a bit too much on the negatives, even while seeing the positives!
1. We’ve all heard the phrase “a glass half full” before when talking about optimism, but that doesn’t cover all of what it can be. What does optimism mean to you?
- Having a positive mindset
- Looking forward to the future
- Not being negative
- Always seeing the light in a dark situation
Positive means not being negative. And why do we sometimes have negative thoughts? Because we have expectations and the life doesn't always go with our expectations.
"And why do we sometimes have negative thoughts? Because we have expectations and the life doesn't always go with our expectations."
YESSSSSSSS!!!
alright! 
so we all seem to be on the same page about what optimisim or being optimistic means! buttttttttttt....
2. Would you say that you’re an optimistic person? Why/why not?
Questions that my friends and i discuss over Carcasonne nights: Is optimism something that can be developed over the years? Is it a mark of 'maturity' or of unrealistic madness? (Seeing as we live in a world of chaos).
seeing as I play Carcasonne at all, YES! I MUST be an optimist! 😉
2. Would you say that you’re an optimistic person? Why/why not?
Yes, I am, because I never (well, almost never) judge the situation or the person as good or bad. Everything and everybody is perfect and everythig and everybody can improve.
nice one @Sveto - seems a bit like "whatever is meant to be will be" and that you dont let how a situation looks impact your future too much! cool.
@lanejane wrote:
"Improvement comes as opportunity and not as need."
can you explain this a bit more @Sveto?
Hm, I am not good with words. What I meant is that I think that our world suffers too much fixing, we humans are fixing everything, our lives evene ach other. The world is perfect and need not fixing.
And the best improvement would be in stopping this "fixing things" behaviour.
I think I am a fairly optimistic person... but it is not something that comes naturally to me and is something I have to work at.
2. Would you say that you’re an optimistic person? Why/why not?
NO! 
- I dwell on things too much
- I can't be bothered trying sometimes
- I make assumptions that are negative
- I can get pretty aggressive and angry and I sit with that so I pretty much always feel like that
- I don't try to be positive often
- I didn't grow up with much optimism from my stepdad
- I didn't see it often when I was young
- I think about the bad things that could happen
