“Optimism is the Faith that Leads to Achievement.” – is the direct quotation from Helen Keller that highlights the importance an optimistic attitude when it comes to attaining success in any endeavor. The quote comes from the essay called Optimism, published in 1903. The author herself was no stranger to challenges and setbacks, growing up without sight and hearing, the only way that she was able to learn was due to an intervention from a dedicated teacher. In her essay, Helen delves deep into what optimism is all about and what it is capable of producing for one’s own life.
Who Was Helen Keller?
Helen Adams Keller (June 27th, 1880 – June 1st, 1968) was a world-famous American author, speaker, and educator who became a symbol of determination in the face of disadvantage and overwhelming odds. This exceptional woman who would attain success later in life lost her sight and hearing when she was only 19 months of age due to a mysterious illness. After her condition was examined by Alexander Graham Bell (the founder of the telephone), the inventor sent Helen to Annie Sullivan, a teacher who specializes in tutoring the deaf which eventually lead her into become Helen`s mentor.
Every optimist moves along with progress and hastens it, while every pessimist would keep the world at a standstill. Helen Keller
Due to Hellen`s inability to learn by sight or hearing, Sullivan had to train her by spelling out the names of the objects on the palm of her hand. Despite the process being slow and difficult, both the student and the teacher remained consistent. Their persistence paid off as Helen got the hang of reading, writing and communicating with others around her. Soon after that she managed to earn a university degree, eventually becoming an acclaimed author and a great orator focusing on empowering individuals with disabilities.
What is the Meaning of the Quote?
This quote from Helen`s essay on Optimism sheds light on how the she considered it her duty to keep her hopes high when most individuals in her extremely difficult position would not prevail. She highlights the fact that if she would not keep on fighting to overcome her circumstances then her despair would consume her and life would be that much more painful
If I regarded my life from the point of view of the pessimist, I should be undone. I should seek in vain for the light that does not visit my eyes and the music that does not ring in my ears. I should beg night and day and never be satisfied. I should sit apart in awful solitude, a prey to fear and despair. Optimism, An Essay By Helen Keller
There are many individuals to this day who have had to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their lives, but in order to get started and keep going we must have faith that will prevail. That is the message that Helen was trying to convey in her quote.
Helen Keller’s Outlook on Life
Before becoming a world-famous author and speaker, Keller had to first overcome many obstacles. One of them is a basic necessity – education. At the time, attaining an education without the natural abilities of sight and hearing was severely difficult if not impossible. To make matters worse the few who attempted to teach such individuals were heavily scrutinized and laughed at. Losing the capacity to hear and see is enough for many to lose hope in ever attaining an education or the competence to become a functioning member of society. Because of these disadvantages, Helen had to search for an outlook from within that would allow her to successfully navigate her challenging circumstances. With the help of her instructor Ms. Sullivan, she learned to cultivate faith and hopefulness in her daily life. She was fully convinced that no matter what happens or what laid in front of her, things would turn for the better not because of mere luck, but because of her effort and persistence.
He will take the iron claws of circumstance in his hand and use them as tools to break away the obstacles that block his path. Helen Keller
The Importance of Optimism in Our Lives
Many successful individuals attribute their triumph to a positive mindset. High achievement in any profession necessitates an absolute conviction that things will eventually work out and that setbacks are just temporary. Just imagine how many inventions would not be made, how many things would not be discovered if we would all allow a pessimistic mindset to take over. Optimism gives us hope for a better future even when others do not believe in us as well as being a powerful motivator to keep up the spirit of those around us when things go wrong.
Contrary to optimism is negativity. It takes the form of doubt, fear, and worry which often prevents us from pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. For many, the fear of failure is the reason why they refrain from taking the first step to improving their circumstances and would rather postpone their efforts than take action. Still for others who find themselves indulging in negativity, life can take a take a turn for the worse, creating a vicious cycle where one`s thoughts tend to become darker and more destructive. After all, it is much easier to fail then it is to succeed, but once you start failing in one aspect of your life negative thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy and soon enough other parts of your life will follow suit.
Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. Theodore Roosevelt
Understand, doing something that is worthwhile is never easy. Whatever endeavor it might be, the fear of obstacles and failure can sometimes visit even the minds of deeply committed individuals. But when one practices an optimistic outlook on a daily basis, it allows you to keep a sustained focus on your goals, without wasting your precious mental resources on unsubstantiated negativity.
The Dangers of Naïve Optimism
We have talked about the dangers of negative thinking and how indulging in it can become destructive. That being said, too much blind optimism which will shall refer to here as “Naïve optimism” can become at best counterproductive and at worst as destructive as negativity.
Naïve optimists may sometimes create habits that border on the impractical. When we think less about consequences because we believe that things will always turn out well, we may miss the dangerous pitfalls and necessary details that can undo our effort. This type of mindset is another reason why many people fail accomplish things that will improve their lives in the long run. For instance, because of a strong belief that a favorable future is inevitable, one might not work as hard as they should – they may fail to plan for savings or be let go of their job when the signs of inevitable downsizing were apparent. One must guard themselves from this type of optimistic delusions in order to reap all possible benefits of a true optimistic attitude.
How to Cultivate a Positive Outlook
While others may be born predisposed to carrying a positive outlook throughout life, it is still widely believed that optimism along with a positive mindset is a learnable trait that can be cultivated. One of the most fundamental things to remember when starting to develop this trait is that optimism does not equate to discounting life’s inevitable problems or stressful conditions. Optimism just means that these problems are approached in a positive and productive manner with both vigilance and possible solutions or backup plans should something go wrong.
You must remember that in life, there are simply things that you can and cannot control. Determining and accepting what one can and cannot control in any situation is extremely beneficial in figuring out exactly at what stage of life you are. Being fully present and aware of our surroundings, knowing where you are going and relentlessly undertaking challenges which are slightly out of our reach one day at a time will keep unhelpful thinking at bay.
Life can be filled with setbacks and adversity. Optimism allows us to acknowledge the positive aspects of our lives when we are otherwise busy with navigating its challenges. An optimistic outlook often can be enough to carry us from where we are to where we want to be.