There's a Silver Lining in Every Cloud

Compared to pessimists, optimists show significantly decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their systems. Less cortisol means less stress, which means a healthier body and mind! On top of that, they have higher levels of positive chemicals epinephrine and neorepinephrine, which helps to explain some of the incredible advantages associated with being a positive person. And don't worry... I can't pronounce those words either, I only know what they do! The information came from this site.

Every Sunday in this section, I'll feature a new real-life story submitted to me by another lensmaster. Think of the most inspiring, positive thing you've ever experienced, and tell me about it! Use the "contact me" button on my profile to submit your story, along with your favourite lens. If yours is chosen, it will get featured here as my story of the week, along with your name, and a link to your lens just below!

This week's story is one of my own, and is the definition of optimism. Read on, and prepare to be inspired, as I was:

A couple years ago, I was attending a business conference of about 2000 people. It was a pretty big deal, and the energy level in the room was extremely high. When one of the guest speakers began speaking, he talked about how he had the honour to speak with a married couple in the audience among us before the conference began. I soon found out why he used the word "honour." As it turns out, the couple's house had burnt to the ground the night before. Could they have skipped the conference? Yes. Did they have every right to? Hell yes. Did they? No. In fact, they were two of the first people to arrive at the conference the following day. Their reason? "We didn't want to miss the valuable information these people have to offer us." The couple was asked to stand, and was given a standing ovation by everyone in the conference.

This story made me rethink just how lucky I am to have what I have: a roof over my head, a loving family, and the most amazing girlfriend in the world, to name the three biggest. It is an incredible story of optimism and perseverance, and it removes all legitimacy of excuses such as "I'm too tired to get up that early," or "I have errands to run." Just typing up the story has me brimming with energy all over again.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt

It's true that every rose has its thorn, but it also has beautiful petals that smell fantastic... so why not focus on those instead? Appreciating the small things in life is a healthy habit to get into, and it makes you feel great for one main reason: there are so many more small things than large! Why wait for the big things to come around, when you're surrounded by so many smaller things to be thankful for? When I wake up in the morning and see the sun shining brightly, I appreciate it. The same goes for when it rains on a workday; I work inside, so it makes me thankful to have the job that I do! No matter how dark or how big, every cloud has its silver lining; it all depends on your perspective.