Always Look on The Bright Side Of Life
Written by: Ellen Williams
I’ve always been sceptical about the idea of hope. It seemed like a false pretence you tell someone to try and cheer them up. Or something religious people tend to believe in to avoid some impending doom. In fact, when you type hope into the search engine on google images, you’ll get bombarded with pictures of mannequin-esq smiling families, sunrays, golden sunsets with silhouettes of people jumping on the beach, and my favourite- so many images of hands cupping pebbles with ‘Hope’ engraved into them.
Image credit: Ronak Valobobhai via Unsplash
As someone whose more susceptible to pessimism but tries to hide it for the benefit of others, I tend to prefer to look through a more logical or realistic lens as opposed to a ‘hopeful’ one. In fact when I was ten, I used to go around telling people my catchphrase was: ‘If you expect the worst, you’ll never be disappointed if that’s what you get’. Perhaps this realistic, sarcastic side of me, I got from my dad – a man who known for sardonically quoting Monty Python, singing Always Look on The Bright Side of Life whenever something would go seriously wrong.
Image credit: National Cancer Institute via Unsplash
He wanted it played at his funeral, alongside Bobby’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Recently I found an article listing these songs in the top ten songs people want playing during their funerals. Alongside this, he told me he wanted to be cremated, and for his ashes to be rolled into a joint and smoked by every member of the family. I was nine at the time. I’ll give him props for creativity.
Since entering my twenties I’ve become tired of my pessimistic outlook on things. Subsequently I spend more time trying to look on the bright side. I’ve been reading books on how to be positive, and how to maintain a more optimistic outlook on life. The majority of the tips and tricks I’ve found seemed like humorous nonsense, but after giving them a go, have found that they aren’t as silly as I first thought. In fact, focusing on hope has been scientifically proven to lower anxiety and depression levels, as well as increasing emotional, physical and mental wellbeing. I needed evidence, something to convince me that having a hopeful outlook would ultimately be beneficial to my wellbeing
On my quest to find ways to be more hopeful, I frequently found myself stumbling on the idea to ‘Write down 3 things you are grateful for everyday’, the idea of gratitude for your present circumstances evidently contributes to future positivity – future happiness. This sense of positivity also reduces blood pressure, and helps you to sleep better – just in case you needed more reason to be positive. Who’d have thought it? So, I went out and bought myself a Gratitude Journal, and started jotting down my three things each morning before getting out of bed . Just like that, my pessimism is cured! If only. But in all seriousness, I do feel more hopeful about life, step-by-step – in part I attribute this to my small practice, but my dad’s voice will always remain in the back of my head as he sings:
‘When you’re feeling in the dumps
Don’t be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle, that’s the thing and...
Always look on the Bright Side of life!’
Edited by: Chi Ribeiro, Ariel Coad, Beth North & Simeon Webb