Good evening, I have prepared this speech concerning the topic “What the world gains from optimism”.
As according to the webster dictionary, optimism is defined as “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome” so our topic is essentially how the world benefits from looking on the bright side. But here’s the thing, optimism itself is a way of thinking, a personality trait at best. Looking at the glass as half full is by all means a fantastic way of thinking but why not fill the glass right? Now figure this thinking on a larger scale; you can “anticipate the best possible outcome” or you can contribute and make the best possible outcome a reality. Please keep this in mind.

I’m a goalie on our varsity hockey team so to say I’ve heard “if you had fun you won” is quite the understatement. I’ve also had my share of losses, embarrassing goals and bad moments from my time on the ice but if I were to dwell on them or let my feelings get the best of me, I would be nowhere near where I am today. That said, just moving on doesn’t do any good for you either, what good is a mistake if you don’t learn from it? Accepting failure because you’d prefer just to “look on the bright side” is completely, and utterly, pointless. Making a mistake is just the first part of the process, it takes work, it takes effort and it takes practice to make sure it doesn’t repeat itself.

As a goalie my coaches have always told me to read, react, and control when the other team makes an offensive play. All three of these actions are key on my part. Read the play, react accordingly, control the puck, control the play. Now let’s think of this in regards to optimism; in our world when faced with a challenge of any sorts there’s always a plethora of options to choose from but ultimately it comes down to either overcome it or just sit back and complain. This is where the world benefits most from optimistic people; not only do they read, react and ultimately overcome challenges, they also control them. They search and work for the best possible outcome, as opposed to simply sitting back or finding a roundabout way to slide through, they conquer and they strive.
On a side note, I’ve tried out for plenty of teams which also means I got cut, a lot. Consequently, I’ve doubted myself, felt like I’d never make another team. But one thing I’ve learned is when one door closes two more open and I had to keep conquering and overcoming and now look, I’m a huge part of a varsity hockey team looking for college scholarships, which undoubtedly has made me a better person with a better attitude, which as we all know, is quite contagious.

Take this for example, Thomas Edison failed anywhere from 1-10,000 times before creating the first working lightbulb. He later said “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways it won’t work”. Imagine where we would be without him, the difference in society if Mr. Edison had not strived to reach his goal and instead got frustrated and gave up. Or Rosa Parks, an African American women who who could’ve simply been another statistic in American racial segregation but instead chose to stand up for herself and what she believed was right. They had no idea if they were ever going to make a change in the world or if their name would be remembered after their time on this Earth was over but make no mistake, that didn’t stop them from waking up every morning and striving to make this world a better place.

In conclusion, what does the world gain from optimism? Well more so what the world is deprived of, and that’s laziness and sitting back. Optimistic people empower and better this world by not just seeing the bright side but by simply making the world brighter, and in such difficult times who doesn’t want a little more sunshine? Thank you.