You say a thing one way and you go, ugh!
Other people go, ugh, too.
Not everyone, but enough for an argument.
If you want one.
Even if you don’t — check out Twitter!
So you think about it, say it another way and, eureka!
Other people get it too.
Not everyone, but enough for an accord.
Well, the word faith is like that for me.
Lots of negative associations.
The God thing.
No proof, so faith.
Pig in a poke territory.
A positive outlook makes for a positive living experience …
Can’t prove there is a Supreme Being, with a Supreme Plan, but have faith, and it’ll all be good.
Far too much wiggle room for my liking.
Too much room for charlatans, chancers, dingbats, and downright exploitation merchants.
And a lot of bad things are happening out there, right?
But faith as optimism?
Yeah, that works for me.
And it can work for our children.
We can help them to see that for all its downsides, life is good.
And worth living.
The notion that you can take a leap of faith and choose to believe the world is a good place to live in.
Not perfect. But good.
A positive outlook makes for a positive living experience.
Faith.
I believe.
Yes, things can go wrong, and they will.
But we can deal with that.
We have faith.
Besides, they might not go wrong. At least not always.
They might even go right.
What joy!
Whichever way it goes, we can choose to be optimistic.
To have faith.
Perspective.
We may even enjoy the show.
Our dog Lily has faith.
She’s a natural optimist.
She sees me or any of our family, indeed most people, and her tail wags, and she turns circles of delight.
Expects good things.
Food, a walk, and cuddles.
Her optimism is infectious.
She spreads joy.
I’m not Lily and my life is more complicated, in some ways.
I have to think about being optimistic or pessimistic.
To have faith or not.
I choose faith.
I have my off days, but optimism it is.
Like Michael Stipe sings in Man On The Moon,
If you believe there’s nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool
Hard to see a pessimist dreaming of putting a man on the moon.
And getting him, or himself, there.
Never-believer or ever-believer?
Pessimist or optimist?
Optimist is also a class of boat, you know?
A very simple little boat.
A nice image.
Makes me think of that beautiful old Donovan song, Happiness Runs, and the lines:
Thought is like a little boat upon the sea
Everybody is a part of everything anyway
You can have everything if you let yourself be
Who’d be a sailor without optimism, or faith?
Optimism is another word for faith.
Faith is a choice.
Worth thinking about, at least
PS: Just found this quote on my Twitter feed, a quote from Noam Chomsky. Serendipitous, or what?:
“If you assume that there’s no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there’s a chance you may contribute to making a better world. The choice is yours.” (Chomsky, 1997)
My Word Of The Week, for @raisiebay’s #WOTW linky is “Optimism”
- Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed it, try another one! Follow my blog and you won’t miss out again.
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EndaStories 
I like your take on faith, Enda. I think maybe the reason faith gets a bad reputation is too many people of faith confuse faith with certainty and become insufferable. Just because I believe something doesn’t make it true. We need more optimistic people in this world!
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WE do, Laurie, we do! I agree: Certainty is not good
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Hi. It’s good to be optimistic. Optimistic people are happier people. But optimism is only a small part of the picture, I think. Mankind has a WHOLE lot of work to do if this planet is to remain reasonably habitable for fauna and flora.
Take care. See ya.
Neil S.
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True that Neil, optimism is a start. But a good one
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It’s better to be optimistic than not. I agree.
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Faith is such a personal thing, and means so many different things to different people. But I think looking for the positives and being an optimistic person is a good thing, and everyone should strive to be more so. #KCACOLS
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It sure does … and yes, something to strive for. Thanks Claire
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I’m a pessimist by temperament but faith in someone more solid than myself pulls me toward optmism. I agree with Laurie above that often the “faithful” become insufferable (even to those who have faith) with their black and white thinking and their tendency to shout where God whispers.
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Hi Michele. I hear what you are saying about being pulled towards optimism. Not easy, and yes, hear, hear re the insufferable certain ones!
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Thanks again Enda for a very enjoyable read! I manage to choose an optimistic outlook on things most days, and I guess you could say that I have faith. Not the of the god-type, but the optimism type of faith you describe here. The husband however, could do with developing a more optimistic outlook… lol. Thanks again for linking up with #KCACOLS! Hope you join in again next time x
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Yeah, it doesn’t always work, but then other people have an annoying habit of raining, or seemingly trying to rain on my parade. But I try! Thanks for commenting
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I like that Noah Chomsky quote. Having hope is important, and yes it is a choice. It’s interesting to read your thoughts about faith for you being optimism and a faith in a Supreme Power is of course open to wriggle room and exploitation as are so many other beliefs that people hold. My own faith is different from yours in some ways but similar in trying to hold on to hope and the belief that ultimately the world is a good place. Not always easy at times and I’m not sure I’m a natural optimist. But it is a choice. #WotW
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It is a good quote, isn’t it! I admit I have ti work on my optimism! But hopefiully it’s worth it!
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Optimism is a good word, so are hope and and faith. All good so long as you truly believe they are so. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good, but wanting to see it can make it more likely. How I’d love to be so carefree as the adorable Lily, wouldn’t we all. Plus I didnt know the optimist was a type of boat! .
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There you are, it is, they have them in our local sailing club. Not that I sail! And yes, optimism is a good word!
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Lily sounds like such a happy dog, it would be hard not to share her optimism and joy.
I am an optimistic person and my fella is the complete opposite. We wind each other up with our opposing views but I think if you think the worst and don’t have faith that things will work out OK it makes you pretty miserable. x
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She is a happy dog … that’s my ambition to keep faith, or optimism alive, no matter what!
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Wow totally get this faith is a funny thing isn’t it and I really do struggle sometimes when I see some of the terrible things in the world but optimism has to be the way, I am totally with you here. x
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Hi Sarah … it is important. I have just read a magazine columnist writing about adopting a “positivity bias”, ie in that when she is reading news stories, she seeks out positive ones as well as the usual negative ones about Brexit and homelessness, and all that. While not pretending the world is a perfect place, she and we might be well served recognising there is truth and beauty in it too
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I do love the optimism of dogs. They live in the moment. Always ready to believe something good will happen. Although I used to have a hound, who never gave second chances, so I guess even a dog’s initial optimism can only go so far. She was a good judge and lived to a good age. I like to think I’m an optimist, but over the years I’m aware that it has become dented. Just like my hound, a little bit of pessimism may serve us well, so long as it doesn’t consume us.#wotw
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I am forever having this ‘discussion’ with my husband Enda because he is a born pessimist and it really gets to me at times. He will always see the negative before he sees the positive and honestly it is tiring at times. I am a big optimist and almost depend on hope – I have to believe that there will always be a solution to a problem. It’s just like the Beatles sang – “We can work it out”. And I always have to point this out to him to try and look on the bright side because like you say in your post, sometimes things do work out and we end up being pleasantly surprised! So when it comes to optimism I am more than ready to keep the faith! #globalblogging
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Good woman , Tracey… sure as someone far wiser than me reasoned, if you are given a choice between optimism and faith, wouldn’t you be daft to choose pessimism?
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I wouldn’t call myself optimistic but I have faith and hope so maybe I secretly am… Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging
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Your secret, Laura!
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I have had a couple of people tell me recently that they envy me my faith. Others have castigated me for being a pick-and-mix Catholic. To each their own. I’d be lost without my faith, such as it is. It works for me. An optimist, though, would be way down on the list of words I’d use to describe myself. Food for thought there. Ta.
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What would the point of religious faith without optimism? Just wondering
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