What did I learn from delving into optimism? It’s not enough to just have specific hope for things; having an overall worldview that’s positive and encourages growth is just as important as believing in your own merits and effort. Trusting in a perspective that doesn’t allow us to become helpless to what happens to us is really important when it comes to optimism, and it certainly isn’t just believing in sunshine and roses around us. When we feel stuck, optimism can be a powerful tool that enables us to seek for the view that encourages us to move forward.
Origins of Happiness: Causes and Conditions Never Fail
So how does this apply to us—individuals who may or may not be Buddhist, but who are all trying to fill our lives with a little more happiness? Well, if we accept the concept is true, then we recognize that we have no real control of most events in our lives. Just like the waves of the ocean, opportunities and challenges ebb and flow on their own time frame.
Origins of Happiness: Stoic Perspective
[The Stoics] observe that we all spend too much time trying to change things that we have no direct control over—the events they call "externals." For example, a worker angling for that next promotion spends all his time trying to look good in front of the boss (think of Dwight from The Office). The Stoics don't necessarily view the activities themselves as "wrong," per se. Still, they do see them as being misdirected and ultimately leading to emotional instability.