I realized that I want to be surrounded by optimists.
Optimism doesn't mean that you can't see the world as it is. One needs to have a rational observation of the world and be a realist in the first place.
I choose to be an optimist. But why not being a realist?
An optimist is someone who sees the world as it is, but is able to have a better vision of the world. It is someone who believes that positive change can be produced, someone who is willing to take responsibility for that change, someone who is willing to care.
It is not realists who were able to change the world, but optimist visionaries. The pessimist visionaries also exist, but they did not do much good to the world apart of draining it down.
You can choose whether you just want to see what is, or see what can be.
For me, I want to be surrounded by those who take responsibility to making the world a better place, to bringing the world closer to their vision, and to leave a message in the world that says:
"Change is possible. Just believe in it, claim it, and work on it."
Of course, one could say: who are you to impose a change to the world? How can you say that your vision is good for others?
There is no answer to this question. What I think is good might be bad for others based on our value systems. The point is that we change the world either way, regardless if we put our actions based on our own visions or someone else's. The only thing we can therefore do is ask ourselves: why do I have this vision, and why do I believe it is good?
Conclusion: keep investing your energy into what you believe in, while constantly remaining open to questioning the value of your beliefs.bright