a perspective of joy, hope and gratitude

  

“when life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. and when life is bitter, say thank you and grow”

shuana neiquist

if you’ve been following along on this incredible journey of optimism, then you know we are nearing two weeks of embracing each day with a new perspective. a perspective of joy, hope and gratitude.

my journey has taught me so much about gratitude. over the past few days, i’ve gained a greater appreciation for the things and people right in front of me. it’s so easy to always look to the future, or constantly think about the “what’s next?” starting each day with an optimistic view has taught me to be more present in the now. to make the most of each situation, each encounter and each moment.

this past week, i had plans to be in europe. grand plans to tour europe with my husband and was beyond excited for it. unfortunately, do to situations out of my control, europe didn’t happen at the very last minute. i’m talking 2 hours before the plane left kind of last minute. i’ll be honest, i sat at the airport with suitcases packed and sulked. i would be lying if i said i wasn’t a tad bitter about the situation. instead of letting my day go to waste, i put the let down aside and started thinking of alternate solutions. i started looking at my bitter situation optimistically.

one bubble tea and a few hours later, i was boarding a plane to hawaii with my husband. we were both already packed, at the airport, and had the week cleared for travel. so, we figured why not? sure our bags were packed with jeans and sweaters for the colder european weather, but we knew we would manage just fine. 🙂

the week turned out to be incredible. definitely not what i had thought my week would look like, but incredible nonetheless. we caught up and connected with old and new friends and i fell madly in love with the tropical paradise that is hawaii. for that, i am grateful. one of the Opt for Optimism challenges was to name 5 things you’re grateful for. i sat for just a moment before rambling off lists and lists of things i’m grateful. i’m grateful for a husband who would spontaneously book a last minute trip after our original plans fell through. i’m grateful for friends that live in hawaii that housed and hosted us with a less than 24 hr notice, i’m grateful for sunshine, i’m grateful for hawaiin pineapples and i’m grateful for hawaiin shops and boutiques that sell $10 tank tops because jackets and sweaters don’t cut it in 80 degree temps.

i think a common misconception about optimism is that to be optimistic you can’t have a bad day, or allow yourself to be upset of over something. the truth is, it’s quite the contrary. being optimistic is what helps you get through those rainstorms. starting my day with an optimistic perspective has helped me see things in a new, brighter light. the small things seem to stay small. there have been countless times in the past where the small things seemed to cloud everything else, and they didn’t seem very small at all. lately, they have just seemed small. which is pretty amazing if you ask me.

other challenges such as clearing your phone out of unused apps, celebrating others and leaving a stranger an uplifting note are all such simple tasks that have had such a positive impact on my days. it’s only been 8 days of the challenge. imagine what a lifetime of optimism could accomplish. oh the possibilities. 

if you haven’t joined the Frost Opt for Optimism Challenge yet, it’s not too late. just click here, enter your e-mail address and get ready to add an extra dose of joy to your everyday. you can also join the facebook group here, and connect with other optimists from all over!

xoxo | jasmine