I was asked to write a post on why it’s important to see the glass half full. This one is a little bit of a challenge for me, because I am optimistic by nature. I just see it that way. Rarely do I stop to think of why. This question got me pondering, and I think I’ve come up with something.

Why is it important to see the glass half full?

Because life sucks. Not  all the time, but a lot of the time. At some point in your life, you’re probably going to: become really sick, take your car to the shop and pick it up with a bill $3,000 more than you have in your bank account, lose your job when you’re already struggling to make ends meet, think you’ve found “the one” only to have that dream shattered, feel depressed, experience the death of a loved one, and lie down at night wishing you didn’t have to wake up in the morning. People are being shot in the streets, raped, and kidnapped. Kids are setting themselves on fire for fun. People are eating each other. Wars spur all over the globe. Starving people with little access to food, water, shelter, and health care run rampant. This world is an awful place.

So, why bother? It’s super simple. You can’t control 90% of what happens in this world. It’s not your job to. You didn’t create it, and it’s going to continue to spin regardless of your contribution. The only thing you can control is your perspective, your actions, and your choices. You can choose to lead a miserable life and be distrustful of people, and fear walking out of your front door because of what’s going on in the world. On the contrary, you can choose to lead a life full of passion.

You choose whether or not you stop to feel the sun’s rays, or to catch a butterfly, or to dance in the rain. Have you seen a sunset? A sunrise? Have you looked out at the ocean and realized how small you are? Have you ever held a baby and pressed your cheek against hers while she squeezes your index finger? Have you seen a toddler have an uncontrollable fit of laughter? Have you ever eaten a popsicle and stuck your tongue out in the mirror to see what color it changed to? Or what about going crazy on the dance floor like nobody’s watching?

Do you know what it feels like to jam out in your car when your old favorite song comes on? Or what it feels like to stand out in the garage with your dad and watch the rain? Have you gone four wheeling in the red dirt country and stopped to pick blackberries with your cousins? Have you ever had a night with your friends so crazy that you still can’t believe it really happened? The kind of  night you talk about every time you get together. Have you ever nailed a presenation even though you were super nervous because you feared public speaking? Have you ever been alone and felt God give you a hug?

Well, I have. All of it. And all of it has made me love my unpredictable  life in this awful sucky world. It’s hard to see in the dark, so I choose to walk in the light. I don’t have the emotional capacity to see the glass half empty. There’s no joy in that life. We have to strive to see it half full,or else we’ll miss out on the things that make it all worthwhile. Do you want to view your life as a desert, or as a party? Whether your glass is holding water or wine, tea or tequila, you choose how to view it.

As far as I’m concerned,bartender, can I get a refill? Cheers y’all!

xoxo Kaisha