Optimism and Joy 

'Joy is not in things - it is in us.'

 Richard Wagner 

Optimism means looking on the bright side of life and seeing the good in people and situations, even difficult ones.  Optimism is a good choice because when we imagine good things they are more likely to happen in the future! It helps us to persevere and not give up.  Optimism tells us that we are not yet everything we can be, and it helps us to dream.

Joy is the bubbly feeling inside which comes when we are thankful for good things around us.  We can choose to find joy and optimism in every day things and play a part in making our own lives happier. 

We can also refer to optimism as: looking on the bright side; being positive and seeing the good in things. The opposite of optimism is pessimism and seeing the worst in everything and everyone.  This can make us sad, hopeless and even despairing.