“If I am happy in spite of my deprivations, if my happiness is so deep that it is a faith, so thoughtful that it becomes a philosophy of life, — if, in short, I am an optimist, my testimony to the creed of optimism is worth hearing.”
- Helen Keller, Optimism (1903)
Today’s is a chance to reflect on“optimism, hope and courage”. Imagine you have lost your sight and hearing? How would you feel? For some, this would invite a sense of desperation, hopelessness or deep darkness? But there was one powerful woman in history, who endured all these circumstances with great courage. She not only lit a candle of hope in her own life but also spread her light to the lives of many living in darkness of despair.
Who else can that woman in history be, other than Helen Keller? The woman, who became blind and deaf at an early age of just 19 months and not only lived on, but lived on with an unimaginable level of optimism. Who could tell that this woman of limited physical abilities would gain education and that also to bachelor’s level? She got it done, it was never easy for her but she never failed because she never gave up.
She began her challenging journey of courage and determination by communicating with her family and then communicating with the whole world through her larger than life books and talks. She became a famous author, whom we all remember even in these modern times. Moreover, her caliber of hope and courage just doesn’t end here; she became a socialist and wrote on political issues pertaining to inequality in the society. Her book “Out of the dark” was part of such efforts. The horizon of her optimism was vast and wide, covering all the facets of her life, why? Just read on what she said, you may get an idea!
“A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.”
The Simplest Way to be Happy (1933)
Helen Keller turned the dreams that even the most able people fear doing into real life. She left the world in awe at her brilliance and success. She stood up to raise funds for blinds and never gave up till her last breath. Her compassion towards other blind and deaf people empowered and uplifted their acceptance worldwide. This powerful woman dared and de-stigmatized disabilities like deafness and blindness. The path and determination of her learning, compassion for others and humility to serve others. never decreased despite all the fame and awards she received.
There is much more to the life story of this successful woman in history. However, there is one thing obvious that without the courage in heart and optimism, no one can turn the impossible into possible. So the only sense you require is the sense of optimism and then all the things may not become easy, but possible! Will you leave a legacy of possibility and optimism?
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