I have been lucky to meet and know some extraordinary people in my life. One of them is Kris Cahill, a friend, an artist, a meditation teacher, and a dynamic spiritual force.
Love her post on "Optimism is a radical and spiritual choice." I too tend to be an "optimist." Yes, I tend to see the cup half-full. I can also conjure up lots of cynicism, and pessimism - when I was the young, rebellious teen, or the moody existentialist, I could go as dark as anyone, but can't really carry it through nowadays.
A long life of meditation has really opened me up to the light, and all those moody dark poses seem pretty damn hollow to me now.
Sometimes I find myself having to work up the optimistic mind-set, sometimes it is a "choice," but that doesn't make it any less essential, no, maybe more essential. Certainly, to write a song, or monologue, or play, or performance piece, requires a bit of optimism - "This is gonna be good!"
Yes, optimism takes "work, consciousness, faith and trust..." It is the good work for sure...