Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

Either of these it is a choice, isn’t it?

Let me give you a story that will shed more light on being optimistic or pessimistic.

This story is an illustration on the subject of optimism: John and Jim were two brothers—John a confirmed optimist and Jim an over-the-top pessimist. Their father became alarmed over the pessimism of Jim and decided to try an experiment at Christmas. John wanted a pony and Jim a gold watch. The night before; he put a beautiful gold watch in Jim’s stocking and some horse hair in the stocking of John. The next morning he hid to see the effect.

Jim came in, took out the watch and said: ‘Looks like a gold watch. Oh, I know it is not; must be brass. I bet the works won’t be any good.’ John followed, looked at the horse hair and laughingly said, ‘Gee, Santa brought me a pony, but he got away.’ His optimism failed to furnish the pony, but it saved the reputation of Santa Claus and gladdened the heart of John more than the gold watch did the heart of Jim.

What can you do to live life more like John?