It dawns on a person. Or at least it dawned on this person, somewhere along the line, that you have to work at finding meaning and purpose in life. You have to work at being positive/optimistic. You have to choose to believe. Yes, you must make the leap, damn the torpedoes.
It is actually much easier to choose not to play. To sit back, complain, refuse to participate, refuse to try, or to dream. Negativity comes so naturally. To be negative, to tear down, to knock, to belittle, to snark - makes you feel so superior, so smart.
Choosing optimism, choosing to be positive seems sort of naive, and the act of choosing somehow makes it seem less genuine. But it is just fear that holds us back. Once you start choosing to be optimistic, you can expand it into all areas of your life.
Choose to live with heart, hope, joy, cheer. Choose your Gods, choose your faith. Choose and work at choosing...