one of the best ways i’ve found to combat that inherent depressive pessimism without veering into toxic positivity territory is simply the phrase “i’m open to the possibility”
this particularly works with anything negative i’ve forecasted. “i woke up feeling like shit today, so my day is gonna suck” isn’t a particularly helpful thought, but “it’s a great day to be alive!!!!!” feels hollow and insincere when i have a pounding headache & am running on three hours of sleep
instead i’ll tell myself, “i really don’t feel good right now, but i’m open to the possibility that coffee and breakfast might perk me up a bit.” or “i’m in a lot of pain today, but i’m open to the possibility that my workday might still have fun parts despite that”
sometimes, when your impulse is to slam the door on anything good, but you’re not exactly up to going out & hunting it down yourself, leaving the door open just a crack makes all the difference
This helped me today hope it helps someone else too
Always remember you don't know the future! Things could suck even worse than you expected, but they could also be much better, and you can't make up your mind what it'll be like before you see for yourself.
"I'm open to the possibility this won't entirely suck."
"This sounds awful but I could be surprised. I'd love to be proven wrong."
"My hopes aren't high but I guess we'll see."
This is the mentality behind "expect the worst but hope for the best," behind cynical optimism. It's being prepared for everything to go wrong, but keeping that door cracked with a spark of hope in the back of your mind that—you know it won't happen all the time, it doesn't change your expectations, but hopefully sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised. And when opportunities happen, you're less likely to pass them by, and more willing to see where they go.
