A time to despair??????

I have been accused by some friends that I am over optimistic in what I write and how I see things. In an effort to be a good listener and to avoid not taking criticism positively I started looking into that with a view to fend this accusation (please note that I have to defend being positive). I googled "being optimistic" and among other things came across a very interesting article entitled :"Being an optimist: 8 ways to overcome pessimism" by a gentleman called Donald Latumahina in 2008. Going through the steps he recommends and adapting them to what we are going through in Egypt these days was an eye opener to why I, among some, am optimistic. I thought to share it with you as it may well be a logical  step by step approach to find the positiveness within each of us. Here are his list of 8 steps with my personal adaptation to the Egytian scene:

1. Find a cause you believe in
I think that whether you care to admit it or not a better Egypt has become the cause we are all debating and arguing about. 


2. Focus on the possibilities, not the impossibilities
The possibilities are so grand: freedom, democracy, a more just and fair system that encompasses all. Not a system that gives only the priviliged but a benign system for all. Why focus on scary scenarios; I am not saying ignore those but work towards making sure they do not happen


3. Read inspiring stories
In our case no need to  practically read or search; just remember and re grasp the grandeur of what went on a few months ago in Tahrir and all over Egypt


4. Be part of a team
We are all part of Team Egypt. Contribute even if it is a simple positive post on facebook. You know if you cannot find it in yourself to do that then may be just refrain from posting a negative one. A lot of us have joined parties (or contemplating that) and most of us are actively involved in one way or the other in fretting and worryingfor the future of Egypt (even by simply watching talk shows and scrutinizing what is going on);that's good: keep it up!!!!


5. Connect to your cause
First define what your cause is. Go back to point one above: yessssss!!! It is Egypt; we are all helplessly loving our country; in a lot of different ways and sometimes in opposing directions but we all have the same cause and passion. Let us up it a notch and rally ourselves around points of agreement in preparation for ironing out the points of disagreement


6. Connect to your spiritual power source
No help or preaching needed here as the Egyptian charachter profile or may be even the original egyptian gene is designed and revolves around faith and belief. Use that faith people. Use your love for God and your trust in Him


7. Get rid of negative words
You keep sounding these words in your mind and soon you believe them. Let us keep those if needed for our jokes. Try not to start your statements with "but's" (one t!!) and "no's". We all take extreme care in not hurting other people in what we say; why don't we take the same care that something we say may sway someone else into pessimism. We all matter by the way and each of us in his/her own way has influence over others ; that is a responsibilty that has to be taken both seriously and diligently


8. Open your mind for unexpected ways
The times we are going through started with the unexpected; why are we limiting ourselves and our forecasts to what we got used to expecting and accepting. We have already startled the world; why shouldn't we believe in our capabilty to deliver on what we wish and yearn for


Those who know me can tell that I am not a naive person. I run the risk of being tagged that but I will run that risk happily and will not regret it one day: we may have a bumpy ride ahead and definitely a not so comfortable transformation process but with belief in ourselves and our dream; Egypt will prevail


Our options and potential are unlimited so why are we self torturing ourselves with pessimism. How can what is to come be worse than what we have been through? Let us think positive; even if what we wish for doesn't happen in its entirity we would have enjoyed dreaming of it!!


A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.  ~Harry Truman


Pessimist:  One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both.  ~Oscar Wilde


I apologize to those who got mislead by the title thinking I was changing direction!!!!! (in my defense though the title is questioning why we shouldn't be pessimistic and not calling for it - sorry!!)


Here is the link for Donald Latumahina article in case you are interested:

http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2008/02/01/being-optimist-ways-to-overcome-pessimism