OptimismSoup.com

Funny I know, that an optimist should be encouraging the thought of writing an epitaph and pondering death. But I am a realist/optimist. And as laughable as it is that an “optimist” is encouraging people to write their own epitaphs, there is good reason behind this…

I was in a car accident about a week ago.  Fortunately my life was spared and I walked away with only a seat belt burn on my left shoulder.  Amazing? Yes. A miracle? Absolutely.  I would like to thank all my friends that prayed for me and my safety that day. I am most grateful to each of you and I am grateful to be alive.

What seemed to be the worst for those that were concerned for me was the unknown.  Many people simply heard I was in an accident.  No other details were given.  The lack of information was the greatest anxiety that my parents had.  My wife and I are two polar opposites when it comes to being social.  I throw it all out there and let the world judge me how they will.  My wife keeps to herself and hopes that the world doesn’t judge her at all.  But what of the silence….. Realizing my wife and I have totally different views on being public, I came to the further realization that my wife had a totally different view on my accident as well. I was happy to walk away with a minor scratch. She was frightened because she thought and focused on the fact that I almost died. The possibility of me dying became a reality to her. And for that reason I gladly gave her and my wonderful kids all of my attention for the past week. So please excuse my absence and the absence of answers.

Through the past week, I reflected upon the “What if I had died?”  I was saddened by the fact that I would have missed being part of my children’s lives.  And I began to wonder if what I left behind would be sufficient for my children to know me, to understand my desires for them, to feel my love for them.  I wondered if my wife would always know that I loved her.  These pondering lead me to the conclusion that I could do better. That despite my core values in life, my life is not always reflective of what I feel and believe inside. Hence the need for me to write my own epitaph.  A practice endorsed by “7 Habits”.

Writing my epitaph gave me the perspective of how I want to be remembered.  Things like wither I eat well, or if I am an all star basketball player take a back seat to, “He was a good father.”  Things like, he was cunning, quick, and got ahead in the business world, pale in comparison to, “He was fair and honest in his business dealings.” And I most certainly don’t want to be remembered as “the man that loved his wife, and almost told her once.”

So please take a little advice from someone that has stood at the edge of life’s door, take time to think of how you want to be remembered.  Embrace life and who you are, and who you want to be. Then realize that you are writing your own epitaph with each breath you take and step you lead.

You are writing your own epitaph with each breath you take and step you lead.

While death is not something I fear, and I look forward to the next life and the what lies beyond, I don’t recognize that I live today, and life is a gift, that is why we call it the present.

Thomas B. beginnings death, epitaph, grateful to be alive, life, optimism

Is survival of the fittest an optimistic point of view?

When God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, evolution kicked into high-gear.  Adam and Eve either evolved to the point where they could survive off of the land or they would perish; and God didn’t give them a severance package, there was no safety net for Adam and Eve.  However, If you look around you, there is evidence in every corner that our progenitors did survive, they did evolve and that we continue to evolve.

In the mid to late 19th century, a philosophy of “Survival of the Fittest” began to flourish.  Essentially, Survival of the Fittest means what it says and stems from the belief that those who do not survive were unfit to live.

Before I continue, let me tell you a short story.  I recently became a certified scuba diver.  I appreciated the depth of knowledge and experience my scuba instructor imparted to his students; of which I was one.  He taught us in detail the steps of gear preparation and maintenance, dive preparation and equipment use in the water, he taught us safety procedures at the surface and underwater, he taught us hand signals for underwater use and he taught us to never dive alone.

Scuba diving, he taught us, is the only sport you do on life support.

Perhaps you think I am crazy for even wanting to scuba dive, perhaps you think scuba diving is too extreme or perhaps you think scuba diving is just kind of boring.  In scuba diving and in life in general, one wrong move and your number or mine could be up. The fact of the matter is, any one of us could be called to meet our maker at any time and each of us knows someone whose number came too soon. Whichever way you feel about scuba diving, sky diving, canyoneering or any other extreme sport, you have to admit that life is fragile; life is fleeting. We must make the most of life; we must go and do!

In the centuries leading up to the 19th century, health, wellness and medicine were not well understood. Diseases and death were more common yet understood less.  So, in the 19th century, survival of the fittest meant people could live; that there was a way.  Survival of the fittest meant people had more control over their destinies.  Survival of the fittest is a motivating factor; if I do this, I should see this result.  If he can do it, I can do it and maybe even a little better. Survival of the fittest is only exclusive if you allow it to be. So, we continue to grow; we continue to evolve.  We see others succeeding and and we know we can succeed too. 

To all of you optimists out there be the fittest, push through the difficult times in your life, follow the examples of your heroes and then become the example.

To each of you, I say SURVIVE!

Be optimistic,
Brian

BrianF beginnings, success

Welcome to OptimisimSoup.com . The long awaited arrival of this site has finally come.  Plain and simple, I set a goal while at Scout Camp this month that this would be the Month.  That June 2009 would mark the commencement of a this site.  A Site that will change the world.  My world if no one else.  Yet my hopes are that those who visit this site will feel their spirits lifted and their outlook on life renewed.  For Life is to live and optimism is live  life to its fullest. That is the key. That is my key. For me there is no secret formula for success. Success is what we create.  What we imagine it to be.  What we desire it to be. Success can be what each of us defines it to be.  It is as unique to us as we are unique to the world. For a mildly delayed child in kindergarten, who is struggling to keep up, success could be finally recognizing all the letters of the alphabet.  For an individual that struggles to control their appetite, success could be taking one less bite.  For me, here today, success is completing a goal that started last year, and was renewed with a date a deadline two weeks ago.

Welcome to one of my successes in life.

I hope that all that visit this site feel free to share.  Sharing your successes, your joys, your happiness, will only amplify those positive forces.

Thomas B. beginnings, success