The Trick to Being an Optimist

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How do we stay optimistic when life hurts? I don’t believe faith promises that every diagnosis, loss, or relationship will work out the way we hope. Some wounds stay with us. Still, life is never perfect, but life sure is good. Swedenborg’s understanding of loving our neighbor gives us something to do with that conviction: look for the good in another person and help it grow. Some days I struggle to see it in the person right in front of me. On those days, I can widen my view and serve the good of my family or community. That is where a sturdier optimism takes root, one that lets us say, “We’ll figure it out,” even when the way forward is unclear. Three words to carry into today: “See the good.”