We all have experienced the feeling of a door being slammed right into our face. What does this have to do with optimism, you might ask.

Katti is truly passionate about positive psychology – a spirit that reflects in her answer to the question of what makes her optimistic. She particularly likes one aspect of the idea of optimism: to be optimistic things don’t always have to go smoothly. Check out her take on it:

The door has closed

A well-known saying goes: “When one door closes, another opens.”

When disappointment is spreading and you find yourself being drawn into one negative thought loop after another, that might sound like small comfort. But experience has shown: There definitely is a grain of truth in that. I am not saying that you do not have the right to mourn for your dreams. It is certainly a legitimate reason if you are forced to witness your dreams being shattered. Being disillusioned is just a natural consequence when something very meaningful has been taken away from you. Be sad, take the time you need to accept the new truth.

Leave it closed

But this is not where the story ends. Do not lose yourself in “what if’s” and do not get stuck on what you have prefigured if your plan had worked. But rather bid farewell to whatever could have happened and let go instead. Parcel your plan off, tie a ribbon around it and send it away.

Imagine: What does the future hold for you? Open your eyes to other options, broaden your mind to new opportunities, use your imagination to envision the florid prospect that will open up right in front of you – if you just let it.

Faith in the next door

I believe that if something did not work out the way you planned it, perhaps it just was not meant for you. The job you really wanted? The rejection might protect you from an unpleasant working environment. The guy that ghosted you after three dates? That might protect you from a toxic relationship that would have caused you more pain. But a thwarted plot might not merely prevent you from bad experiences. Maybe it even leads you to something better. Someone else is going to move into the apartment that was just perfect for you to settle in? The next one you will be seeing might be right next door your soon-to-be best friend’s…

So, what about the closed door? There is not only another one about to open – what awaits you behind that door will be even bloomier and brighter!

Thanks for reading and thank you, Katti, for sharing your story.