| |  | It's Mind Over Matter (or More Thoughts on Optimism)
February 3 is the anniversary of my dad's birth. If he were alive today, we would be celebrating his 91st birthday. My dad knew, no matter what the odds, there is something each of us could influence: our attitude. One of his favorite expressions was, "It's mind over matter." The first time I heard it was when I had stomach flu around a ge six. The last time I heard him say it was when he was dying of cancer.
Could I have changed the effects of my stomach flu when I was six or could my dad have simply willed his cancer into remission? Who knows? What I do know with certainty is that each of us can have hope and choose to be optimistic regardless of the circumstances before us.
My dad (shown here as I choose to remember him, healthy and happy) was in very good company regarding his thoughts about optimism. Dr. Martin Seligman in his book, Learned Optimism, tells us that cultivating a positive attitude can be learned. It's not magic; learning optimism asks each of us to trust it's "mind over matter" and to be conscious of our choices so that we make a habit of being optimistic.
Self care is about developing healthy habits. One such habit is believing that you have a choice how you view your world, yourself, and your life. |
