By DMA Senior Paris Robinson

In Optimistic Mindset, I have realized the importance of being comfortable with the uncomfortable. There are many problems in this world that we believe are better going unspoken. We ignore them because the conversations that arise are uncomfortable. This could mean anything from meeting a new friend, sticking up for someone who’s getting bullied, or trying new things out of our comfort zone. It is imperative that we begin to recognize that uncomfortable feeling and lean into it. 

We must become familiar with change. The mistake we often make is believing that life is about preventing or postponing change, but really it’s to learn how to embrace what you cannot control and make the best out of your situation. Being so focused on the possible future outcomes will ruin what you have right now. I have learned to be grateful for the life I live and for the small events that take place everyday that prove I am alive. I show this by using a gratitude journal. Everyday I write down something I am grateful for and have found that I am grateful for a lot more than I realize. The goal of life is not to be perfect, not to have the nicest things, or to have the most followers on social media, but to feel what’s happening in the present. To feel is to live, whether you are sad, or happy, or angry, or excited, or scared. These are all living proofs of being alive. To identify these feelings and learn to navigate them is one of the hardest but most important things we can do. 

Due to the time I have spent in this course, I have begun to look at change and life with different lenses. I have learned ways to navigate the confusing emotions of high school and how to help my peers do the same. I now am able to spend less time on social media, where unhealthy comparisons and criticisms live, and am able to put my phone down for the benefit of more sleep, and a healthier mind. I have become appreciative of every little thing in my life. In the Optimistic Mindset class, I have learned the way that I think and why I think that way, and how to better myself for the benefit of the community. I believe I will continue to live through these learned guidelines even after I have completed this course.