Optimism is something we are encouraged to be more of because being pessimistic is not the done thing. I completed a gratitude journal for 5 years, every single day with the aim of becoming more optimistic! 

But now I see this differently. Optimism is defined as, 'hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something' and pessimism as, 'a tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen'. But they are both lies about the future!

What we have a tendency to do is create a pessimistic future and then talk ourselves round with a more optimistic version of it. This is replacing one lie with another. There is no reality in either version of the future. And whilst we are thinking about the future, we are not actually anywhere near the truth. The truth is in the now, in the body and in the breath. A better place to be rather than your pessimistic or optimistic lie about the future, is the present moment! Here is where you can act, take the next step and course correct. Creating any kind of future just confuses your system, creates stress and has you missing what there might be to do now. Today I declare that I am not an optimist or a pessimist! I am a presentist! (which I realise is a made up word but I don't care). Do you want to join me here?

Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe