An Eternal Optimistic Kid In A Pessimistic World

Call it wishful thinking, call me a dreamer, or call it what you will but I am a certifiable optimist.  Let me rephrase that, “I am an eternal optimist in a somewhat pessimistic world!”

In light of all the insurmountable odds stacked against me in whatever I’m undertaking, I always see an opportunity for the best thing to happen and hope for it to come to fruition.

That may sound like arrogance or being a bit too confident but I feel that it’s much better to be that way than to think negatively of the circumstance.  Thinking of all the things that could go wrong tends to impede our progress and changes our mindset from a “can do” to a “can’t.”

I’d rather come from a place where I believe that it can happen or possibly could happen.  Having a semblance of hope drives us to do our best.  Just knowing that we have a chance to attain our dreams, get that job, be accepted into that prestigious college, whatever…makes us all the more enthusiastic.

There’s a bounce to our step, a gleam in our smile, a twinkle in our eyes that exude positivity.  In our current time, we need to have a strong belief that some good will come from our hard work and efforts.

Granted not all things happen like we wish it to, in my case it’s a majority of the time, but it serves as a reminder that it’s better to try and fail than to do nothing. AA2

What drives me to be eternally optimistic is my internal fountain of hope; that gives me the sheer strength to endure.  Just knowing that I won’t fail all the time is ammunition for me.  If I just don’t give up and go that extra mile, maybe just maybe I’ll achieve my goal.

I try to have a kid’s outlook on life where everything’s attainable.  Children are not jaded, children have no limits, children see a straight line to their goals.  Unbridled optimism guides their path without regard for the chiming in of the adult’s skepticism.

We should all just make an attempt to stick with something and see through it till the end…who knows, it might be productive or we could’ve been on the cusp of attaining it.  Regardless, our mindset will change and we’ll see the possibilities in our next endeavor.

Being optimistic is not everyone’s cup of tea, most of the people I know are more logical; they know when it’s time to call it quits and move on.  I could do that but it just wouldn’t be me.  So I’ll continue to be in this club of one and be that eternal optimist in a pessimistic world.

My 2nd Anniversary

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I can’t believe it, just had to pinch myself.  It’s officially been 2 years since I started this venture of blogging…didn’t think I’d last a year let alone two.  It somehow feels more like 3 or 4 years but time really has a way of making things seem longer than what they really are.  Nonetheless, I am plugging away and putting myself out there for others to stop by and peruse my musings.

I can honestly say that this truly was a journey, one that I was a bit skeptic at undertaking; it kind of felt like homework to me.  One where I would be critiqued by not one, not two but countless of others who would find aspects of my work unappealing.

I hesitated for a moment thinking “Am I crazy?! I don’t need to deal with this!”  But at my manager’s behest, and her unbridled positive enthusiasm, I decided to “Go for it!”

Even though my blog site is still a work in progress and I haven’t found a niche, I’ve found this venture to be both therapeutic and phenomenal.

I used to be afraid of what people would say about my writing style, my stories, my poems and even my rants and raves.  Just putting myself out there without regard of what negative feedback I may get is somewhat liberating.

It’s as if this blog site was my personal diary; a place where I can let my inner voice run wild.  A place where my ideas and feelings can paint a picture that was somehow hidden deep within my somnolent consciousness.

Every post written, every word chosen enabled me to create my art with unbridled pride and joy.  AND sharing myself…giving some semblance of positivity, inspiration and insight into how I see the world is invigorating.   I’m lucky to be able to do this of my own volition.  I love what I’ve done so far and eagerly look forward to what I come up with on my next post.

Positively Positive Haikus

The sun shines brightly

Happiness engulfs me now

Time to spread the joy

 

To smile means to care

My love for you know no bounds

Always…Forever

 

 Laughter of children

Innocence so refreshing

Dreams and hopes alive

 

 Following your dreams

Your story is a journey

Inspire everyone

 

 You’re a great writer

Send your work into the world

Set your stories free

Longing For A Fulfilling Life

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I count my blessings every day I wake up; I have a wonderful wife, two great kids, a loving pet, caring family members and loyal friends.  My health is going well with the exceptions of a few aches and pains but that comes with age.

Lately, however, I’ve been feeling a tad bit unfulfilled; stuck in a rut and in a funk.  My life has stalled for some reason and it’s as if there’s something lacking in my life that somehow can’t be extinguished.  I noticed that it tends to rear its head when I’m at work.

Day in and day out, I trudge into the office to work for a private corporation whose bottom line is one of financial profit instead of valuing interpersonal relations with its employees.  Those that work tirelessly are underappreciated while the slackers and less qualified upper management are praised highly for taking credit where credit is not due.

Granted the pay is good but like I said earlier, it’s lacking in substance.  I’m at that age where I want to do something that matters; to make a life changing decision.  Yes, I know that sounds so cliché (and NO I am not trying to apply for sainthood) but it’s the God’s honest truth.

I want to work in a place where I know the things that I am doing are for the betterment of someone or a cause.  You know the feeling you get when you help someone in dire need without a thought of receiving anything in return?  The sense of doing something favorable for purely selfless reasons and cracking that big inner smile in the process; you can do no wrong when you give of yourself to someone.

That’s what I want to feel; I want to smile more while working instead of being worried about deadlines.  Learning to have more empathy for those that are in a far worse predicaments than I am.  Strengthening my compassion towards strangers.  Spreading hope when there is none.  And enjoying life in the whole scheme of things.  Doing something that’s rewarding and feeling a sense of self-satisfaction at the end of the day is what I’m longing for.  Being able to do this would not only enrich my being but it would give meaning to my place in life.

Most recently, I have been applying at places of interest that do that sort of thing for quite some time…but unfortunately no luck.  But that did not deter my desire for achieving the goal of doing something worthwhile to satisfy my inner soul.

I’ve been tirelessly perusing sites where I can volunteer my time and make a difference.  The most eye opening aspect of this process is seeing the number of pages that the volunteer application forms contain.

Some even require medical documentations of past immunizations, past work history, references, reasons for volunteering and a mandatory commitment for your free services.  My how times have changed from when I did community service back in high school.

Even if this whole process is time consuming, my urge to really do something worthwhile and make a difference in someone’s life is all that matters.  My hope is that I can find the perfect fit and in doing so quench that burning inner desire.

The Three P’s

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We all have tons of dreams

some big, some average, some small

Achieving them in our lifetime

is the common theme for us all

The map to our success

is following these three views

Learning them by heart

will help us avoid any miscues

 Patience, Persistence & Perseverance

also known as “The Three P’s

Commit them to one’s memory

is a MUST I do decree

Biding our time without complaint

having “Patience” is the key

The journey’s just beginning

in bringing our dreams to reality

 “Persistence” will outlast talent

staying the course, when all else fails

We must get up after every fall

towards our dream we will prevail

 In spite of all the difficulties

and the strong urge not to quit

Perseverance” dictates our true passion

we’ll get there…bit by bit

 So pursue your dreams to the ends of the earth

learn “The Three P’s” & follow through

You’ll reach your goals and then much more

of this I promise you.

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A Special Day

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The day was all fraught

with stress and strife

My nerves were all bent

from the chaos of life

Thought I could handle it

but alas it was a mess

My mind stripped clean

optimism started to regress

 Getting through the day

would be most difficult to do

The wanton need for some air

near a place with a view

 So I stepped outside quickly

became akin to nature’s palette

Weight of the world lifted

introspection reset

The bright sunshine rays

the soft, silent wind

Thoughts of your warm morning embrace

stirred feelings from within

 Your unabashed, beaming smile

your gentle, loving eyes

A tingling sensation

came to my surprise

 The hours till we meet again

though they seem so far away

Thinking of you…my love

made this a special day.

Promise Me Silence

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Don’t tell me that you don’t love me,

don’t give me a heart that’s not true

Just promise me you’ll say nothing,

that’s all I ask of you

Promise me silence…

if you don’t really care

Promise me silence..

if your heart’s not willing to share

If you can’t tell me you love me,

then don’t say a thing

I’d rather have your silence

if that’s all you can give

Just promise your silence…

if I can’t have your heart.

 

My Perfect Day

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We’ve all heard the phrase “That team played a perfect game”, “He/she got a perfect score on the test”, “That was the perfect date”, “He was a perfect gentleman” or “That was a perfect day.”

That word “perfect” obviously meant flawless, without fail.  Things went so smoothly that the stars aligned and there wasn’t an ounce of disruption in your particular quest.

For some odd reason that word came to my mind this past week and I tried to fathom what I did in my life that was so “perfect.”

Yes, I’ve had a perfect score on an exam before so that was easy to relate to but as for the rest, I had a hard time trying to comprehend what that really meant.  I figured I’d sleep on it and try to tackle that the next day.

The next day arrived; there were no plans or errands to do so it was pretty much a chill day.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP…I sluggishly turned off the blaring alarm clock and rubbed my tired eyes awake.  I looked to my left and saw my wife, Iris, of 20 years still asleep; she was always a deep sleeper.

I gazed at her for a moment and a flood of memories washed over me.  It was like a video album showcasing all of the good and  bad times; I smirked at how we ended up together and miraculously endured all of this.

Just then, our 3 year old dog “Chibi” started to lick my face as if to say “Good Morning, time for my morning walk now” or it just could have meant “Are you awake now?  Good, let’s go play!”  Chibi then turned her attention to my wife and did what the alarm clock could not do.

We got out of bed and did our normal routine.  Soon after my son, Conor, woke up somberly said good morning and immediately turned on the TV as he plopped on the couch.  Soon after my daughter, Chloe, awoke and joined Conor on the couch.

They weren’t their boisterous selves, more like morning zombies adjusting to the daylight and getting their bones, muscles and joints acclimated to the new day.

As the day wore on, our house started to liven up to its usual self.  There would be times where I saw Chloe and Conor laughing about something, joking with Iris or playing with Chibi.

Throughout the day, we all would be interacting with each other in some fashion.  As the day turned to night, we continued doing our little things to keep us occupied, all the while still connecting with one another.

The day came to an end and we all prepped for the next day of work and school.  As we said our goodnights, I laid there in the dark and mulled over what took place throughout the day.

It was just a simple ordinary day of really doing nothing and just relaxing with the family.  We laughed, joked and did inconsequential things but enjoyed every minute of it unbeknownst to us all.

I replayed the entire day in my mind’s eye and took stock of how beautiful that was. My sense of appreciation was immeasurable.  Nothing went wrong, there were no major disruptions…I couldn’t have asked for a better day.  It was simply “perfect”; it was “My perfect day.”

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There Is No Bond Stronger

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As I was growing up, I never really got the full grasp of what it was like to rely on family members for support; especially that of the emotional kind. 

 I was always off on my own, or with my friends, involved in insects, cartoons, action figures, video games, comics or remote control vehicles of the fast kind. 

 When I wasn’t squeezing every ounce of free time for my personal pleasure, my head was preoccupied with school.  So as you can tell, it was either trying to finish that super complex homework, study for zillions of quizzes and tests or what to do first when I had free time; those thoughts took up most of my emotional journeys.

 Nothing major happened to the point where I needed to consult my parents or siblings for advice.  A lot of my life’s lessons came either from trial and error, mostly HUGE ones, or talking with friends.  Life was simple, there were no worries.

If it didn’t involve school or play (or girls) then it completely fell to the wayside.  That, however, took a different turn as I got up there in age and started a family of my own.

 My focus adjusted and my eyes began to really “see” the value of having family around you.  I could have a bad day at work, a traumatic incident, health issues or just feeling down in the dumps, but just knowing that my family was there made the trials all the more bearable.

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 My wife and my kids provided emotional support in ways that inspired hope in me.  Just having someone in my corner, through thick and thin, really made all the difference in overcoming the obstacles that were in my path.  Their positive words of encouragement, daily affirmations and big burly hugs made all the difference; they truly became my emotional cheerleaders. 

 My outlook towards my parents were in a state of flux as well; it changed from seeing them as an authoritative figure to that of sage-like confidants that I can pour my heart out to. 

 It’s interesting how time really changes you and strange that it took me this long to value the bonds we share with our family.  I might have grown up slightly different from others but at least I can say that I finally learned how strong family bonds can be.

What Birthdays Mean To Me

Today is your birthday

a time when wishes come true,

a card, a cake, a present, a party

are all awaiting you

These are things you would expect

on this auspicious day,

but my gift to you would be a special one

in each and every way

I’d offer you the beauties of nature,

the sunset, the flowers, the rainbow;

gift-wrapped, sealed and delivered with care

as you deserve them so

So when this day passes

and the days and months go by

Just look out any window

and my gifts will still be there,

as the clouds are in the sky.