My Drive for Optimism - Let me tell you something personal

Now I'm going to use this post to rant a little. Nothing in particular is spurring me on other than the quote shown. Please read it before you continue. Read it? Great. This is a quote made by Joseph Campbell and basically captures my own personal opinion in terms of life and success and opportunities.

You could definitely call me an optimistic person. When things are rough and certain life events are trying to hold me back in life, I'm not gonna stand still and let them stop me. No, I'm gonna push against the wind. That's how I am and I think that's the best way to be. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

I hate when people blame their lack of success on their circumstances. And yes, I do understand that there are a lot of situations out there that can mess you up. Death in the family, battered families, etc etc. I understand that fully and that is probably why I want to become a child psychotherapist. I want children and teenagers to believe that they can EXCEED their circumstances. I want them to reflect on their experiences and stop their experiences reflecting on THEM.

When did bumming around become socially acceptable just because you came from a lower-class, single-parent family. Eff that. Let me tell you something personal. I came from a single parent family. At the time that my mum and dad got together, my dad was married to somebody else but seperated. However, a couple of years later he started living with his wife again. For the 1st decade of my childhood, I saw my dad once a week, who lives about a 10 minute walk from my house. Then at the age of 11, he retired and stopped coming to see me. No one understood why. So I remember there was a day that my mum took me to his house to go see him. Only he wasn't at the house, or even in the country. He had built a house in Jamaica and moved there. No goodbye. There were times where he would come back to England to check on his wife and older kids, but never check on me, even thou we lived so near by. Now I've heard plenty more fucked up families than this, but trust me this is only part 1 of my daddy issues.

The point is I was 11 years old. This is the kind of thing that would take its toll on an 11 year old, even just a little bit. My mum's first reaction was "a child needs her father". My reaction to her reaction was "to hell with that..." I didn't mope about or cry or anything. But I do remember thinking to myself "I don't care, I don't need him and I'm gonna show him how much I don't need him in my life." I was always a smart child in school, but when this happened to me I raised to the top of my classes. I made promises to myself that I would be successful and financially-privileged so that the day my Dad decides to come back into my life, show him what i achieved without him. I have seen my dad a couple of times since and he sends me bday cards and xmas cards every year nowadays. In fact, before I started uni he came to see me. I didn't make much of an effort to spend time with him, since he didnt make an effort with me before. But before he left to go back to Jamaica, he gave me a cheque for £5000. Yes you read it right. £5000. I still haven't spent this money by the way, its in a savings account somewhere. Very generous of him, right? But I'm sorry I can't be bought. Though I will spend it. Lol am I a bitch for this?

Anyway, my point is, I took a negative situation and made it work for me for the better. All that you need is to create a dream for yourself. Its not hard. Everyone has something in life that makes them happy. Whether its to dance, to write, to babysit. You just need to find that thing and think how can I use this to make me both happy and successful. Love what you do and do what you love. And as the quote above says, new doors will open for you that you probably were not looking for before. This is how life works. Its not going to help if you don't ask for help. And if anyone has ever read or watched The Secret (by Rhonda Byrne and others) you will know that positive thinking brings opportunities and positive experiences. So if you are not already doing so, START NOW!

But please remember...

Always Chase the Dream, but Never Refuse to see Reality