3. Optimism & Pessimism, Part 2
Brotherhood and Sisterhood Activity of the Western Hemisphere
Nuria Stephanie Sabato, Peshkar
KarimaGita Erickson, Assistant Peshkar
Beloved Brothers and Sisters,
May our hearts be open to receive the spirit of optimism which comes from God that we may seize the opportunities and experiences that help us to "know and understand life better."
With Sisterly Love,
Nuria and KarimaGita
Optimism and pessimism, Social Gatheka, No 3, Part 2
by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Very often the wise have seen that cleverness does not reach far, it goes so far and then it stands; for cleverness is knowledge which belongs to earth, and as to experience, what is man's experience, one is only proud of one’s experience until one has seen how vast is the world. In every line of work and thought, there is no moment of experience that is not needed, but the further man takes the experience the more he sees how little he knows. The psychological effect of optimism is such that it helps to bring success. For it is by the optimistic spirit that God has created the world. Therefore optimism comes from God and pessimism is born out of the heart of man.
What little experience of life man has, he learns this will not succeed, that will not go, this will not come right. For the one who is optimistic, if it does not come right in the end, it does not matter, he will take his chance. And what is life? Life is an opportunity, and to the optimistic person this opportunity is a promise, and for the pessimistic person this opportunity is lost. It is not that the Creator makes man lose it, but it is himself who fails to seize the opportunity.
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