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The Beauty of Rainbows

 Is optimism the same thing as having hope?

One of my staple traits is being an optimist--looking at situations with the glass half full. I'm the type of person where even the tiniest things will make me excited. Yet as we look at the temptation to look at what's only pleasant, will our standard for "pleasantness" be harder to meet? There's a question of whether always finding the good in something numbs the ability to reach new heights of joy.

Waking up to sunny weather always provides a pleasant surprise to my morning, even in the summer. Of course, by mid-July, I am accustomed to the typical clear and bright weather, but I will never fail to appreciate a beautiful day. Every time I remind myself of the beauty that I know I'll miss in the winter, I savor the crispness of the air. This takes me to being simultaneously faced with whether I can appreciate the weather because I'll one day lose it or because the sun always makes me happy. Is it a matter of conditions?

A more decisive look at having hope comes with setting expectations. The most pressing issue in my life at the moment is ~college~. My dreams of going to college years ago have been greatly subdued recently, and whether or not that was partly intentional or subconscious remains a mystery to me too. Yet as I press submit I have to constantly block out the temptation of imagining a possibility of being able to respond to my decision letter with excitement. I tell myself you aren't getting in! in an attempt to not get my hopes up. I sacrifice my happiness from hope now to save myself from disappointment later. 

If it takes stormy weather to appreciate a nice day, how can someone who always jumps in joy continuously do so? Maybe it's no deeper than a personality trait.


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