7 Tips for a More Optimistic Year
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7 Tips for a More Optimistic Year
To say I’ve seen a lot in my 95 years is an understatement.
Those of us who are dang-near a century old have a few stories to tell. Just ask us. If you asked me a year ago if I’d seen it all, I would have said yes.
After all, I’ve lived through WWII, the Great Depression, Vietnam, 9/11 and multiple recessions. I’ve seen civil riots, natural disasters and decades of political discord. I watched Americans moon walk (including Michael Jackson) and the evolution of space-age computers. I dodged the Asian flu, swine flu, HIV and Ebola.
As a career educator and coach, I’ve built countless athletic programs, mentored and coached thousands, from college to Olympic-level. I’ve been married for a total of 60 years and outlived both wives. I’ve had my share of loves and losses, to include children.
Despite my challenges, I’m one of the more optimistic people you’ll meet. I carpe diem and encourage others to do the same. (Evan Oswald, 2021)
We need more of Evan’s spirit of optimism! Covid is contagious. So is optimism.
There is too much anger, conflict, cynicism, stress, and fear in our lives, schools, and country. This is not how the Lord expects us to live. As leaders we have the duty to model and cultivate a biblically informed optimistic spirit in our lives and in our schools “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” — 2 Ti 1:7
Here are a few simple tips for cultivating a spirit of optimism
1. Stop “Doomscrolling”. Doomscrolling is the act of consuming a large quantity of negative online news to the detriment of one’s spiritual and mental health. It is the excessive engagement with social media and other online platforms that feeds conflict, cynicism, conspiracies, and fear. Doomscrolling does not keep one informed, it keeps one depressed.
Severely limit the amount of time spent scrolling the news and social media. Find a good book to read instead, starting with daily Bible reading.
2. Watch less cable news—It is bad for you
This is not being irresponsible. It is being a good steward of one’s life, time, and overall mental and spiritual health. In an insightful Huffpost article, Carolyn Gregoire writes:
Negative news can significantly change an individual’s mood — especially if there is a tendency in the news broadcasts to emphasize suffering and also the emotional components of the story … In particular... negative news can affect your own personal worries. Viewing negative news means that you’re likely to see your own personal worries as more threatening and severe, and when you do start worrying about them, you’re more likely to find your worry difficult to control and more distressing than it would normally be …
the way that negative news affects your mood can also have a larger affect on how you interpret and interact with the world around you. If it makes you more anxious or sad for instance, then you may subconsciously become more attuned to negative or threatening events, and you may be more likely to see ambiguous or neutral events as negative ones. (Carolyn Gregoire, 2015)
3. Raise your thoughts.
What we decide to focus on will have a huge impact on our outlook on life. What occupies our minds will largely determine our attitude and mood.
What we choose to think about, what we choose to preoccupy ourselves with is a choice. Paul encourages us to focus our minds on the true, the beautiful, and and the good: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” —Phil. 4:8
Doomscrolling and cable news keep us constantly focused on the false, the ugly, and the bad, not on the true, the beautiful, and the good.
4. Keep politics in perspective.
No politician or political party is our hope or our despair. Regardless of one’s political persuasions, it is wrong to invest too much of our hopes or fears in any politician or party. In fact, we are instructed to not fear men (and by extension government leaders) but God: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” — Mt 10:28
If Jesus tells us not to fear those who can kill us, at the time he was referring to Roman emperors, then we surely need not fear a mere political party or politician. We must always remember that God is sovereign: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” — Pr 21:1
5. Give the judgement of charity.
It is all too easy to judge others in our hearts and in gossiping about them to others. Jesus gives us a serious and sober warning concerning how we judge others—this extends to all men—including politicians and ornery parents:
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. — Mt 7:1–5
Instead of harsh judgments and assuming the worst, we should follow the Golden Rule in our attitudes towards others. How do you want to be thought of; do you want the judgment of charity or of criticism? Do likewise to others in thought, word, and deed.
This doesn’t mean we won’t vehemently disagree, we will. But even in our disagreements we should heed the sage advice by Rupertus Meldenius (German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century): “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
6. Don’t stoop: keep the moral high ground.
People can be mean and unreasonable. When confronted with that mean-spirited and unreasonable email or conversation, keep your composure. Do not respond in kind. Keep the moral high ground.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them … Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. — Ro 12:14ff
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. — Lk 6:27ff
Remember the words of Solomon: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Pro. 15:1
7. Be an encourager, not a doomsayer, and you will be encouraged.
It has been said that a rising tide lifts all boats. This is certainly true when we encourage others. Our words of encouragement have a tremendously positive impact on others and in turn, on us. This is one reason why Paul tells us to “encourage one another and build one another up” and to “let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” — 1 These. 5:11; Eph. 4:29
Mr. Oswald ends his USA Today opinion column with his optimistic and humorous outlook on life:
Attitude is a choice. I have a choice to be happy or sad, fearful or optimistic. To enjoy living or to sit around and wait to die. People ask me if there’s anything left on my bucket list. My bucket doesn’t have a bottom. I’ll never get it all done. In 2021, I’ll embrace whatever comes my way. I just hope I can still drive. (Evan Oswald, 2021)
Cultivate a spirit of optimism; it is good for you, your family, and your school.
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Oswald, E. (2021). At 95, I don’t fear dying. Let’s keep the COVID-19 pandemic in perspective. – USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-01-03 from https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/01/01/dont-fear-dying-advice-covid-pandemic-column/4099216001/
Gregoire, C. (2015). What constant exposure to negative news is doing to our mental health – huffpost. Retrieved 2021-01-03 from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/violent-media-anxiety_n_6671732