Sir Ernest Shackleton was an Antarctic explorer who was trapped in the ice for two years back in 1914. He and his crew endured incredible hardships and deprivation. He vowed to get everyone back to England alive. Through terrible times and against virtually impossible odds, the entire expedition got back to civilization. Lo these many decades later, Shackleton has contributed greatly to my life by uttering one single sentence regarding what he learned from the ordeal. "Optimism is true moral courage."
This life provides many challenges of all kinds for every one of us. There is an unending resevoir of discouragement, depression, and worry out there for us to encounter. But, the glory of life is that we can choose to be optimistic in the face of gloom, dispair, and death.
Life is worth living. Choose optimism. Yes, embrace failure, defeat, and sadness, for these griefs are a part of life, but do not let woe conquer you by eschewing optimism, for optimism grants true courage to face all the small and great tragedies of our full and dynamic lives.
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