Optimistic

Disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. Hardships are promised to you by life. No matter what actions are taken to avoid them, life will still manage to throw a few at you. When this happens, a person has a number of options. They could look at said event negatively, or embrace it. By embracing it, one could even remain optimistic about things. This is the key word here: optimistic. A probable misconception is that optimistic people are these freaks with smiles glued to their faces, who never get upset about anything. However, these are the people who take bad experiences as opportunities to learn and grow from, and they don't always have a smile on while doing this. When it comes to obstacles, I feel that I should not allow them to take over my life. Instead, I want to use them to better myself. For example, this past year I took my AP European History exam. I had worked all school year in order to pass it. Long nights of homework were put into that class. I was like a pack mule, with the load of homework being carried on my back. I was ready to tackle and pass the test. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I had anxiously waited all of summer to receive my AP score. All the while the number 3 kept repeating in my head. 3..3..3. When the results came in the mail, that wasn't what was on the paper. The paper screamed failure at me. My initial reaction was a mixture of sad and angry. I had worked so hard, but didn't pass. However, I realized that maybe I could have worked harder. Thoughts of this year then came into my head. How can I work to pass my AP tests this year and improve my work habits' I embraced my score as a type of learning opportunity to better myself. I remained optimistic about it. Sometimes these hardships can make it difficult to keep your spirits up, and it sometimes is. However, if I give off a positive vibe, I will receive one in return. When I see one of my good friends upset, I don't wallow in their misery with them, I try to make them laugh, cheer them up. Last year, I had a friend who was upset about a breakup. To cheer her up, I cracked a few jokes about him, reminded her that life goes on and she can treasure the time that was spent but move on. Just interacting with someone cheerful can make my day so much better. I enjoy being happy and seeing it in others as well. If I can succeed at keeping someone's spirits up, then I know that I'm being a pleasant person. It's not necessarily that I'm out to make everyone happy; I'm just out to not spoil people's happiness. I know that if I were feeling very good about myself, but I encountered someone who wasn't, I would feel obligated to sympathize thus lowering my good mood. Another experience I remain optimistic about is tennis. This year is my first on varsity. For the past two years in high school I've been accustomed to being on the top of my JV ladder and coming out with a fair share of wins. However, now that I'm on varsity, I'm no longer at the top. I don't see this as a bad thing though. I'm now surrounded with girls that I can play with and maybe improve my game. It's a new challenge. My opponents won't be as easy as they have been in the past. All this means though, is that I'm going to have to work a little harder than before, and that's not bad at all. Optimism is defined as looking at everything and viewing it in a positive manner. Some people may find this impossible. However, I don't think it is. I view the word as a way of keeping your spirits up. No matter the situation, look at it as a way to better yourself and grow as a person. I am an optimistic person because I always carry myself with a positive attitude. I try to always have on a smile because it expresses my personality, and quite frankly, it's mighty attractive.