What the World Gains From Optimism by Carsyn

What the World Gains From Optimism by Carsyn - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

“When you look at a field of dandelions, you can either see one hundred weeds, or one hundred wishes.” Life is about perspective. Perspective; the way a person sees the world in their own eyes. We can wake up to our alarms in the morning and either dread getting out of bed for another day of school or work, or we can look at the day as a new opportunity to change the world. Perspective. Mine is different than yours. And yours is different from the person outside. This is something I embrace about perspective; there is never just one. There are approximately 7 BILLION people in this world, each possessing a different perspective. This one word holds power within itself. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines perspective as “the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed.” Keeping an optimistic mindset, leads to positive perspective. An important topic that I would give a speech about to a school-wide audience would be what this world gains from Optimism? What does it gain?

Firstly; Acceptance. This character trait is something most, including myself, struggle with. Throughout these past few years, I have experienced change. Change that will forever affect my life. Being diagnosed with Anxiety as well as Adjustment Disorder, I find it challenging to accept change. But as I continue therapy, I realize that nothing in this world is ever permanent, but only temporary. As Shabnam Khan stated in The Miracle, “Part of the real beauty in life is that it is unpredictable.” (2016, Khan) Understanding and being okay with the fact that tomorrow is never promised to us, is acceptance. Some things are simply hard to grasp in my life, and I may never understand why they happen the way they do, but through acceptance, I have learned to stay hopeful, and optimistic. Staying open minded and optimistic, I am able to accept that I come from a broken family. I accept that I am a child of a recovering alcoholic. Through my mom’s 4 years of continuous sobriety, I have found the true meaning of acceptance. The world gains optimism through accepting all things in life, no matter how hard it may seem.

Secondly; Commitment. The world gains optimism through this character trait by people committing to the things most important in life. For me, my biggest dedication is to God. The Higher Power of my understanding has helped me build the courage to stand where I do right now. He has given me a life of hope, and commitment. God has promised me success in the future. In the Book of Psalms 37:5, it states, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalms 37:5) Because of the Power greater than myself, I am able to commit to family, education, and health. Family is the one support system I have that reminds me daily to say optimistic in order to be the change in the world. Through education, I dedicate my time to become successful to make both God, and my family, proud. I commit to my health, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Having a healthy lifestyle leads to a positive mindset. Through optimism, the world is able to find this dedication within society, making commitment to one another, inevitable.

Lastly; Fearlessness. “Once you become fearless, life becomes limitless.” (Unknown) I do not believe being fearless means to not have fears at all. We all have a fear of something. Some fear spiders while others fear heights. So, how do you be fearless? To me, fearless means being courageous. When I have a burning passion for something, I have learned to be brave and never let fear stand in the way of me and my dreams. I have found myself to be daring; to never let negative aspects take over what I want to accomplish within my lifetime. I want to be remembered as an optimistic hero. I want to be the optimism that the world longs to find, so that it may leave a legacy that lives on forever.

Max Lucado said it best when stating, “Da Vinci painted ONE Mona Lisa. Beethoven composed ONE Fifth-Symphony. And God made ONE version of you.” The greatest thing about being Carsyn, is that there is no other soul in this entire world that can be her, too. I want to see the world gain optimism through being accepting, and fearless. I want to see the world embrace the perspectives of others. What does our world gain from optimism? It gains hope and guidance. It gains strength, and reassurance. Our world challenges us to wake up and seize the day through being optimistic. It is those who take on this challenge that leave a legacy of a lifetime. I am up for this challenge. Are you?

Works Cited:

"Perspective." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.

"Connecting People Through News." PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News. Shabnam Khan, 9 Dec. 2016. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.

"43 Bible Verses about Commitment To Something." What Does the Bible Say About Commitment To Something? Pslam 37:5, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.