As we started her treatment, I asked a client what improvements she had noticed in the weeks since we met.
She listed a few things, small improvements, things only someone long confined by pain could appreciate.
She fell silent for a while, then added, “I’m more optimistic.” The quiet triumph in her voice made me smile.
Optimism matters
In this world of the bottom line, optimism takes courage. It seems safer not to risk disappointment by imagining improvement.
But optimism is motivating. It’s much easier to make the effort it takes to heal when we start to realize — or even imagine — our efforts make a difference. Optimism is not certainty, but it leaves the door open for positive change.
Optimism is not a blithe “everything is going to be ok.”
Optimism is a willingness to relax into the possibility that, at least right now, this moment, all is good.
Right now, right this moment, all is good.