Idealism

In my opinion, idealism is aiming to live our best, most positive life. It doesn’t mean we have to live in a fairy-tale existence where our life preference is sunshine, rainbows, smiles and rose strewn pathways. Instead, one chooses to see their life optimistically with the ‘glass half full’ mentality, believing that at the core of most people is love and that everyone is doing the best that they can with the knowledge that they have.

Some days will bring thunderstorms and gale force winds, (literally and metaphorically) and the idealist will look for ways to centre themselves in the eye of the storms and summon the courage to look for lessons or opportunities to help themselves and others in the aftermath.

Although an idealist may seem to be a romanticist or a dreamer if they can float down from the clouds and stay grounded they have the perfect alchemy to be resilient beacons of love and light. Just like a lighthouse guiding ships to its safe harbour the idealist can beam their guiding light and hope across an ocean of cynicism and despair.

Idealism means seeing the underlying goodness, beauty or promise in the world and then allowing this to shape our moods and actions. It is a deliberate choice to focus on the possible and to trust that these possibilities can become the dominant reality.

When we cultivate idealism, we focus on what is lovely and loveable in other people. Their imperfections and rough edges remind us simply that their lives are works in progress. Our idealism helps them to see their good qualities and to grow them.

When idealism guides our lives, it melts away cynicism and despair, replacing them with light and hope. ~ Wisdoms Commons

Where in your life can you infuse light and hope and let go of cynicism and despair?

Quotes:

·  "I visualize therefore I become". ~ Claude Pelletier

· “When I was five years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” ~ John  Lennon.

· "There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for human kind. ~ Hannah Senesh (poet, playwright).

· "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~ Kurt Vonneg

This was used as the Spirit Yoga Theme for the week, I hope it can inspire you to light a path for others!