Confidence

In a world where fear and negativity are so naturally prevalent, it takes a lot of chutzpah and acts of rebellion to be confident, hopeful, visionary and optimistic.  Confidence may seem out of place and even arrogant.

Sometimes cynicism passes off for critical thinking.  Negative predictions pass off for "being realistic." I am all for optimism, as well as, questioning and skepticism, indeed I have been saved from a few scams and scammers this way.

It is much easier to tear down than to build up - and it is a faster route to a sense of accomplishment. A house is demolished in a few seconds or minutes.  A well-built house takes much longer to construct than that, obviously.

Martin Seligman said that without optimism, why on earth would we begin building cathedrals that take hundreds of years to complete?  Maybe we don't always see the end product of what we start.  Maybe it is better this way.  Otherwise, we think it is about us and that might carry a twinge of arrogance.

When everyone says it can't be done, it is subversive and takes audacity to try.

This is all more than just abstract speculation to me.  If I didn't believe, how could I, as a low-income, ethnic minority, urban girl, dare to beat the educational odds (with an over 50% high school drop out rate in my neighborhood)?  How could I, raised as a serial renter, risk buying a house as a young adult?

How do you reach the impossible when you doubt the first step?

I like being unrealistic, sometimes.  Reality is limiting.  I like taking on the impossible, sometimes.  The results can be surprising.