Once upon a time there was a lady named Pessimistic Patty. Patty lived long off in a secluded cave that was full of demise and gloom. Patty often hid from the sun and only dared to enter into the world at night. Patty did not like to see glimmers of radiant energy or sunshine. Pessimistic Patty ate, sleep, drank, and lived a gloomy life. Patty enjoyed dreary rainy days and most words that came out of her mouth were filled with darkness. Patty however did have a favorite beverage. She drank this beverage several times a day in her favorite cup you see. Patty somehow became attached with her beverage. Patty would sit at her fairly broken and disheveled breakfast/dinner table and sip and sip and sip. Throughout the day Patty drank. Patty would not let a moment pass without taking a sip from this cup. Me being an outsider I marveled what possibly could be in this cup that Patty sipped on throughout the day. I watched from a distance for several years. I saw how Patty loathed to drink from this cup. After Patty would drink from this cup I had hoped it was some type of energy drink. I had wished that something magical would spill from her loins after she sipped from this cup. I waited, baited breath and all. Full of optimism that whatever Pessimistic Patty was drinking would change her countenance or lift her spirit. I was taught to imagine what you want and it will come to pass. So I closed my eyes real tight as a silent observer and I watched for years. I kept hoping that this beverage Patty consumed daily would by some chance bring at least a small glimmer of light. But nothing! However, I kept hope alive. I stood flat footed one day while looking over the horizon and I said in a loud voice hoping the celestial skies could hear me? I said, “Pessimistic Patty will come out of that dark cave and relish in the light and her thoughts, actions, and deeds will exhume light.” I said this silently to myself for years as I watched Pessimistic Patty from afar, just hoping!
You see I discovered that Pessimistic Patty was not born this way and that somehow she learned to drink from this cup of bitterness every day. Pessimistic Patty had her on barista of pessimism. Patty years ago began to brew her own pessimistic latte with two extra shots of doubt, and three pumps of hurt macchiato. Patty through the ups and downs of life began to internalize so much venom from the situations of life that she began to feed herself it several times a day. How in the world did Patty get here? Most things that Patty expelled from her lips was laced with fear and the thought of cheer was nowhere near. I was saddened for Patty. I would hear echoing from Patty’s cave so much demise. If you would say, “oh it’s such a nice day!” Patty would find some kind of way to point out negativity and pessimism. Patty would say, “oh I don’t see what’s so nice about today, I woke up with a headache.” It was hard hearing Patty always resonate on this level. However, I kept hope that Patty would one day find some happiness in her life and that her first words would always be positive and not negative.
Although this story was based was imagery and a fairytale style affect there are many Pessimistic Patty’s and Paul’s in this world. There are many people who first thoughts and words are negative. However, this is a learned behavior. No one was born with a spoon of pessimism in their mouths. Something happened in life that I am sure jaded each person who flows in pessimism. I don’t believe that people want to be miserable and to never see the joy in anything. I think that life happened to them and they did not develop the skill sets to deal with difficulties or never learned how to cope. Or maybe they had been let down so much that they lost hope. But I implore you today to believe that there is always hope. The sun has to shine at some point. It is never always bad. We have power over our thoughts. We have the ability to think ourselves happy. It ends and begins with our thinking. That is why it is so critical to our health and well-being to live happy joyous lives. Yes, we will have obstacles and hardships in life but we must learn how to adjust our sails and keep on moving.
That is why we must find things that will uplift and inspire. We must learn how to find the joy in things. This must be practiced daily. For some it will start off hard speaking positive things especially if you have hovered in negativity for so long. However, you can do it! Speak life always! Take command of your day by what you say and think. You have the power to do that. There is something greater than yourself that will give you the energy to walk in light. We also must watch the company we keep. It is hard listening to a person who is always negative. That energy is not attractive at all. It can even change your mood or make you feel bad. So we must seek out light always. We must be deliberate in finding persons who seek the good in things and who believe in hope. Our former President of the United States Barak Obama has a book entitled “The Audacity of Hope”. When you walk in hope your life will change. When you believe that things will change and get better then you will start to see it manifest. Try it! See how your life drastically changes by what you say out your mouth.
Oh, in any fairytale there has to be an ending. Are you curious what happened to Pessimistic Patty? Well let me tell you. I am eager to do so. Patty came out the cave. Patty moved to Sunshine Boulevard and Happy Highway. She also began to teach classes on “There is power in what you think!”. Patty has a waiting list for registration to attend her classes. Patty tells how and why she lived a life a gloom and helps others now live happier healthy lives. I had always hoped that Patty would see the light. My heart is warm she did. As any fairytale ends. Patty lived happily ever after.
The End
P.S I really don’t think it’s the end but I think it is the beginning for Patty and many others who catch on to having hope!
Originally published at medium.com