A Pessimistic View of Optimism

Yesterday's post Things are Getting Better All the Time received more pushback than anything I've written in a while. It's not surprising. Consider the amount of media coming at us daily with sky-is-falling headlines. It's a shock when we learn that's not the case. We can even feel guilty about not worrying so much about everything. I do all the time.

There's a few quotes to live by when that guilt arrises. I try to live up to these ideals, but fall short most of time. I still believe they're true:

“Don't worry. Do. If nothing can be done, don't worry.” – Patrick Rhone

"What, then, is to be done? To make the best of what is in our power, and take the rest as it naturally happens." - Epictetus (via Mike Vardy)

"We spend so much time worrying about the future. What if we let go of that fear, and focused on what mattered? On mastering our craft and shutting out anything that got in our way?" - Hugh MacLeod