You Don't Have to Be Optimistic All the Time

In our society everything seems to make us believe that we have to be optimistic and happy all the time. Pessimistic people often pictured as losers. They expect from us to smile no matter what and to say that everything will be just fine. They make us believe that we are either born optimistic or pessimistic.

The one-size-fits-all optimism doesn't really work and can be harmful sometimes. Optimism and pessimism are feelings about the future. Both optimism and pessimism act like energizers in certain situations. If we were only realistic about our future we wouldn't even try to do things saying "it's just impossible".

Optimism and pessimism can also be a mind-set to adopt certain situations. In some situations it's better to be optimistic in others better to be pessimistic. Optimism can help us not to give up and cope with difficulties. Pessimism can help us to prepare ourselves if we won't succeed. Pessimism can help to better protect ourselves. This is also called defensive pessimism.

Of course in many situations it's much better to be optimistic. Some examples are when you are looking for a job, start to date, want to lose weight or start a business. Optimism can work against you when you gamble, when you are an investor, when you think that you can always get what you want.

Pessimism can be of course a negative feeling too. When you think that you will never get a job, never find a boy or girlfriend or never will be able to lose weight. Pessimism is bad when it makes you sort of give up.

Pessimism is good when it protects you, when it prepares you to the "what if" situation. Whit a pessimistic mind-set you will able to handle stress better. Pessimism is good when you don't over-expand because you are not 100% sure about your job and/or income or as an investor you diversify. Pessimism is also somewhat good when you or someone close to you have an illness. It helps you to prepare yourself to the worse scenario.

Why Is It So Hard To Do The Second Time?

I bought a desk for my son last year. The kind of desk which comes in parts and you have to assemble it. I enjoy doing things like this and we did it together with my son. When I do it the first time I carefully follow instructions. I organize all the parts and the tools I need for the task. Being organized and following every step in the instructions makes it much simpler.

I bought the same desk for my younger son this year. I thought that since I put it together a year ago this time it'll be a lot easier and faster too. I didn't spend that much time organizing the parts and later on I found out that some of the tools were missing too. I also tried to remember the step-by-step instructions without looking at the instructions. It turned out that it was a bad idea. I ended up putting together parts in the wrong order and had to take them apart. I realized that doing it the second time was much harder. I thought I would remember everything after a year but I didn't. We finally put the desk together, but it took longer and it was a real headache.

I head the same experience with directions too. When I drive somewhere I've never been I carefully plan the trip. I Google it and I print it out for reference. There is no problem if I have to go back the next day but a year later could be a problem. The second time I just try to remember the trip and on the way to my destination I realize that most of the details are pretty foggy.

It happens to me all the time with the computer too. When I have to fix a problem the first time I gather all the information I need and then I just follow instructions. The second time a few months later I just try to use my memory which very often fails. Many times I even forget where to start and I just remember bits and pieces.

I learnt my lesson in the past so when I do something now the second time I try to do exactly the same way I did it the very first time. No more frustration.

Little Things I Can't Stand

Every now and then I come across with little things I just can't stand. It seems sometimes that I'm the only one who notices these things. Here is a sample list of these annoying things:

• The window is left open when the heater or air conditioner is on; This is because I am paying the bills;
• The toilett paper roll is empty; I'm the one who always puts on the new one;
• Someone leaves the mouse on the mousepad and I have to charge it up before I can use the computer;
• There is an empty soda bottle in the fridge; 
• I hate those pop-up surveys after visiting a site for a few seconds, in facts I hate most of the surveys which take longer than a minute;
• When someone is jogging on the street when it's already dark, especially when there is a sidewalk;
• When someone calls the wrong number (my number) in the middle of the night;
• When someone in my family leaves a tissue in a pocket and it goes all over in the dryer;
• When they plow in my driveway and it turns into a big chunk of ice;
• When the TV is on and nobody is watching it;

Maybe another time I will add more to this list.

I Don’t Know How to Open Packaging

Every time a package opens up real nice and easy I get Goosebumps. I think this experience should be normal but unfortunately it’s not true.

I’m struggling every day to open up something and it rarely happens the way it supposed to. Sometimes the content of the package ends up on the floor. I’m not talking about clamshell packages only which I still don’t know how I supposed to open up. I read somewhere that a can opener might work.

It could be anything, a cereal box, a package of chocolate, a bag of potato chips, a bottle of medicine, frozen pizza, a soda bottle, a jar of anything and much more.

Although I have to admit that the more expensive is the product the easier it opens up. At least it’s true in most cases.

I like to follow instructions and there is no instruction on just about anything about how to open them up, except an imaginary instruction says “Good Luck”.

With larger packages such as larger boxes I don’t have much problem opening them up. I usually use a pocket knife and I just hope that I will not damage the content of the package. With these larger packages the trouble comes when I have to return the purchased item. I have no clue how put everything back into to box the way it was packaged. Maybe I should take pictures as I unpack the contents.