Syed Mustafa Ahmad
When the gloomy clouds engulf a person’s life, there is only the hope of optimism that keeps a person going, hoping that the future will be different from the past. What is optimism? Optimism means to look at the brighter side of things when the majority of things look gloomier. Optimism is the weapon of those who are intellectually strong. They have a fixed goal of their lives. They are determined to reach their destinations. They accept life as they come. They never get bothered if they consciously or unconsciously find themselves in difficult situations. They know the ups and downs of this temporary life. But how can a person be an optimistic in the dark tunnels of his or her life? If a person is an optimistic in every situation, what the ways are to follow. Let us try to throw some light over it and try to become an optimistic. The first and foremost thing in this way is to understand the objective of life. Why are we here? Why are we created? Why are there different kinds of people? Why are griefs and happiness? What is the reality behind the cycle of birth and death? These facts will help a lot in becoming an optimistic. People generally lose hope of living when the worldly desires are not fulfilled. There is vacuum in their lives which they find difficult to fill. But when the real objective of life is known then a person is in a position to know the realities of things and he or she doesn’t fear the griefs, the cycle of death, accidents, the worldly losses, etc. He knows the God’s plan of creation and thinks that these abhorred-things actually are for my self-realization. These are not for breaking me. These are actually meant for my personality development. This kind of mindset is deemed fit to be an optimistic. These are the persons who achieve optimism. The second important thing in this perspective is that all the universes have an end. They were, are and will be made for a particular purpose. And when that particular purpose is fulfilled, there will be some new universes, where the present situations won’t be. Keeping this fact in mind, a person can easily deduce this result that the worldly things are not long lasting. One day, we have to give back all these things that have been bestowed upon us by the great Almighty. All the universes are in His power and all belongs to him, we only are here for a journey of some days. When the days are counted, He will call us back. All our belongings will remain here or will be destroyed or taken by someone else. If this is the reality of life, there is no reason to feel depressed, if something is snatched away from us by God or the worldly people. This mindset always is optimistic.
There will be no sign of ungratefulness on our faces if anything is snatched away from us. We believe that the hereafter will be better than this. Sadness of this world will have an end. Happiness is waiting for us in the hereafter.
The third important thing to be an optimistic is to have less desires. Socrates said that contentment is the best wealth. If a person desires less and is more contended, surely he or she will embark on the path of optimism. He or she is contented with his or her lot. If the already possessed is taken away from them, they don’t feel saddened. Instead, they say that these things are in our possession because we have been trusted upon to safeguard them. When the appropriate time comes, the owner comes and takes his or her possession. Our job is to remain trustworthy. This mindset also is helpful in achieving optimism. When you have no desires and you are contented with whatever you have, a person certainly embarks on the path of optimism. For him a grand palace, charming faces, colourful dresses, etc., mean nothing but necessity. If this is not the case, he or she does not touch these things. The fourth and the last thing important thing for this according to my opinion is in the belief that there is life after this world. This world’s loss is the gain of the life hereafter. It will result in such kind of a mindset where the worldly loss will be welcomed with an open heart. There will be no sign of ungratefulness on our faces if anything is snatched away from us. We believe that the hereafter will be better than this. Sadness of this world will have an end. Happiness is waiting for us in the hereafter. This way of thinking and living will make it possible to see light at the end of the tunnel. In short, optimism really is the characteristic of those who live God-oriented life. They all are acquainted with the God’s creation plan and live accordingly. They never mess up their lives with the negative activities. They always find positive in a negative situation. They use their brains, hearts and souls together. They introspect and reflect upon the realities. And these are the persons, who win the battlefield of life.
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