And that is cool.
I really do like Optimism. There is an Optimism embedded in the American Fabric that can screw with you unnecessarily. In other countries, you stay in your lane and you understand that there is a ceiling. On Planets Earths most aggressive capitalistic human experiment,(America) we have “meritocracy” where you can be what you want if you can get past the regulatory and legal headwinds it will be all wine, women, and song.
2 years into cultural chaos propagated by the virus It feels like a good time to recalibrate my habit of just being optimistic especially when I must share it with others. It is easy for Joel Olsteen to tell the cameras that everything is alright and just a little faith in a God that seems to occasionally answer prayers. You dealing with the mess can get you out of it and thoughts that can mentally upgrade you from your situation are not conducive to the work that actually needs to get done. Shift away from framing things positively, it will be a shift to not framing them at all. To get intimate with what is truly bothersome is to admit that shit kinda sucks, and find the next action that is available. I hope this works independently and does not infringe upon what I am truly grateful for.
Shit Kinda Sucks for a lot of people. It is quite alright if you feel the same way. What Is becoming increasingly annoying is the pressure to remain optimistic as you have always had in the midst of the unprecedented. The continual energy to put on a face, or exhibit behavior not compatible with how one is feeling will eventually defeat you.
It is ok to have had a bad day. I am telling you I know so many people that have had a bad day today. You must not have to always try to decipher a meaning to what happens. I think you can completely submit to something being unfortunate. I think it helps you feel calibrated for the real fortune that may manifest in another moment. There is always the framing available to learn lessons and tell stories.
The Toxic optimistic culture is such shit. I have lots of problems with it. Many people had a tough, frantic, last couple of years. I feel like everybody everywhere has to deal with difficult people, unrealistic expectations, ailments, bereavement, and the Los Angeles Lakers this year. Even in the best of times, it can be difficult to look at your To-Do list. To foist onto somebody's optimism without really understanding their inner nature is patronizing.
I think this is disingenuous and this is really toxic because it prevents or at least discourages you to take stock in how you truly feel. I have always held up this front with my coworkers for fear of reprisal. This caused me to burnout. It really is not the truth and I have spent significant stretches of time with imposter syndrome and after lots of willpower
I write this in the throes of a nationwide or even worldwide mental health crisis. Many a time we don’t get where we expect and it creates this delta that could make you feel bad or perhaps deflated. In this suboptimal energy state, you put up a front and then fail to fully embody it at any meaningful level. This perhaps by definition, imposter syndrome. I wish we could call a full time out.
“You can’t look at a glass half empty or half full if it’s overflowing.” — Kanye West
