Pessimism is a pattern of thinking that tends to predict bad outcomes, so it holds us back from taking positive actions. Some of us would rather be pessimistic than hold positive expectations and be disappointed if they fail to be realized. On the other hand, hope is a positive expectation which helps us marshal our resources and encourages us to stay committed to achieving a goal.

In Places in the Heart (1984), Sally Field plays the role of a widow trying to keep her farm during the depression. She is advised to sell it, but stubbornly refuses. It is her optimism about the future, plus some magical events, which allow her to keep the farm in the most trying of economic circumstances. The film shows how positive thinking can improve the quality of our lives. At the very least, optimism about the future helps us stay in momentum as we strive to realize our dreams.

Your movie

In a moment, you will use your imagination to get a clearer picture of your inner movie about pessimism. The point of understanding this pattern of thoughts, feelings, and effects is to deepen your awareness of its dynamics and impact, so you can make conscious choices and create a new movie to live within.

Recall a time when you felt pessimistic. Close your eyes and replay the experience in your imagination. Then, write a brief description of the drama below, carefully including the thoughts that supported the drama, the feelings that arose from those thoughts, and how those feelings affected what you said and did. (Enter your response in the following box or in your word processor window.)

What effects did this drama have on you and others?

Consequences

Briefly describe what you get from your pessimism. What are the payoffs?

Briefly describe the price you pay for it. What parts of yourself and your life do you sacrifice when you are too pessimistic?

Is what you are getting in payoffs worth the sacrifices you are making? Explain.

New choices

Having become more aware of this movie, including what you get from it and what you sacrifice, what new choices in thinking and being are being revealed to you? Note them.

Create a new movie

Relying on those choices and your creativity, sketch out ideas for a different movie which incorporates new ways of thinking and being. As you create your new movie, be aware that you are of two minds because you have a dual nature. Your duality gives you the capacity to shift from one thought to its opposite in a search for balance. For example, there is a part of you that can feel optimistic about yourself and your future. How will cultivating that capacity for optimism alter how you live?

As you look back on your work, identify the first step you will take to make the changes you designed.

With your eyes closed, imagine living in your new movie.

People who are pessimistic think that they can foretell the future. They make up negative predictions, then they have to live in them. Pessimistic thoughts add gloom to our lives, make us too cautious, and undermine our creativity. Yet, pessimism can also be an effective warning against an extreme form of optimism that might lead us to take foolish risks. When we recognize that pessimism and optimism are two sides to our wholeness, we develop the capacity to use them both with balance in mind. When we are too optimistic, a little bit of pessimism might help us make wiser choices. When we are too pessimistic, choosing to think in more optimistic ways will help give us the courage to pursue a goal and stay in momemtum until it is achieved.

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