January 21, 2011

Fact #194: Realism vs Pessimism

I'm a very practical person. Empirical. Logical. I always have been. And that's cool by me.

But there's a point where being realistic crosses the line into being pessimistic. And that's not cool by me.

Realistically, I know that I'm endeavoring to build a career in a field where the odds of making a full-time living are pretty low. Where I'll hear 'no' more often than I'll hear 'yes'. Where I'll sometimes spend more time looking for a job than having one.

And those are facts. They're backed up by hard data and statistics. So I can't fault myself for recognizing the truth. For being practical enough to see that as much as I believe in myself (and I do!), so do the hundreds of other people competing for the same jobs I am. And the honest truth is that not all of us will get the job.

But that's where I have to draw the line between realism and pessimism. Because the other truth is, it's not really about the odds. Or at least, it's not just about them. It's also about the journey. About defining success my own way. It's about finding a way to see the odds, to accept the cold hard truths -- and then open my arms and just smile.

This helps. :)


Til tomorrow!

1 comment:

troy said...

I always remember to enjoy the ride and hell, why not you? Right?