What is Optimism to me?

My view: seeing the good in situations, believing in oneself and others, learning from and not wallowing in failure, and then hope. That’s the plan.

Being hopeful of the future and of opportunities that arise, are the things that first sprung to mind when considering optimism.

Below is a brief account of my journey with optimism and some takeaways from my experiences. They may seem like relatively simple things to live by day to day but from my perspective, they’re pieces that you have to apply consciously and with a lot of effort in order to become an optimistic person. 

Noticing the good has always been something I thought I was ‘good’ at, however, there have been many periods and situations where this hasn’t been the case and, in those moments, where everything feels heavy and irresolvable it is so important to listen out for that voice reminding you that there is always something to learn in every scenario. A personal example is that I used to have a very negative feeling towards my time at university and when people would ask me about it only the negatives came to mind - I found that it was draining me whilst also draining those around me.

Presently I have such a different outlook, While I know it wasn’t all amazing and I struggled a lot I am also so grateful for the friendships I made, the skills I learnt and the life experience which affects how I react and approach life now two years on. I spent so much time wishing my university time away I now look back and realise I wasn’t living in the moment, which I now try to do as much as possible. Appreciating and looking into the small things in life each day can develop into significant positive changes.

From a young age, we are celebrated and encouraged by our parents, teachers, grandparents and other elders when we reach certain milestones and grades and as children, we felt we could do anything; nothing was out of reach. So why is it that when we grow up self-doubt creeps in and suddenly our goals seem somewhat unattainable? 

I was recently in a rut of self-doubt, self-deprecation and generally just struggling to be optimistic about anything! I actually think it became a bit of a habit, negatively thinking and speaking about myself, something I wouldn’t wish on anybody. So I decided to sign up for a 75-day challenge to try to help get myself out of this cycle; I’m currently halfway through the challenge and I can say my mood and mindset have completely changed.

Having small measurable goals every day like water intake, exercise and saving up makes every ordinary day feel a little more accomplished. The biggest take I have had so far however is journaling, I tried for years to get into it but never found a routine with it, until now. It has become one of my favourite times of the day to acknowledge my progress and set my intentions in the morning and then reflecting to see if I hit my goals in the evening. 

The 75-day challenge involves a set of daily tasks, self-confidence workshops and a community of 50 girls all trying to improve themselves. It has been amazing to avoid that wallowing feeling I mentioned earlier, realising that every tiny ‘failure’ ruined my day or made me doubt my self-worth or abilities. By actively putting myself into a challenge to improve my optimism, confidence and so many other areas of my life, these small bumps no longer hold my whole being and I can instead try to learn from them.

 Community is also a huge part of building this optimism and seeing how other girls are building each other up through vulnerable conversations and new perspectives. 

In a workshop recently our coach asked a question. If you could change the worst thing that has happened in your life? Would you? 

Perhaps there will always be small little things to which our answer would be yes however it is important to understand the journey of optimism and that we have to accept that everything that has happened in our lives has made us who we are today and the person that is showing up for and bettering ourselves is future-facing and looking forward to the way ahead.

A large part of optimism is framing our past, in a way and in line with our futures. 

Deciding, dedicating and driving forward.

Ella's blog

Perception | Potential | Performance