Is the glass half full or is it half empty?
An optimist looks at the half full portion.
A pessimist looks at the half empty portion.
But a realist looks at both.
That half and half glass is a representative of life.
We all start our life with a full glass. A clean slate as you may call it. But as the life progresses further, we empty the glass of water. Which brings us to the time, when it is half empty and half full.
What is half empty?
What is half empty is what we have lost. It might be a relationship, a job, an opportunity, a friend or a love. That half empty portion fills us with a sense of deep loss. It reminds us of our mistakes. It triggers memories we wish would stay suppressed forever.
That half empty portion is not to be ignored. It is a collection of our mistakes, our errors and our immaturity. It is a reminder of what not to do.
That half empty portion is our pain, our blood. It is reminiscent of the multiple fractures in our soul. A grim recollection of what could have been and what could not be.
What is half full?
Then there is is half full portion. It is the antidote to what half empty stands for.
It is a symbol of hope. A promise of a better future. A reminder that your story is not over. It tells you that though you have lost a lot, you have not lost everything.
It is also a bank of what we have gained in our life. A great friend, a job, a hobby, a passion. The list can be endless for in our journey we collect more than we lose. That is why we are here looking at the glass.
A realist, an optimist or a pessimist?
So you see, a realist always has an advantage over an optimist and most certainly over a pessimist.
An optimist is full of hope but he is devoid of lessons learnt from the past. He seeks happiness but in reality, he is running from his losses. He smiles to conceal the ruptures in his lacrimal sacs. He is like a driver, caught looking ahead, completely oblivious to the fact that his past is catching up on him to ram him in the back.
A pessimist on the other hand is so stuck in his pain, that he fails to see ahead. He refuses to dress his wounds, allowing them to turn septic. He drives on the treacherous roads of life, with his eyes glued to the rear view mirror. A pessimist is bound to crash and burn for he cannot see the destination ahead.
A realist life is not a bed of roses
Being a realist is not easy though. It is like sitting in shuttle that travels to and fro from light to dark and vice-versa. It is equivalent to living in both day and night at the same time. A realist sinks and swims over and over. Yet, if you can be one of the three, always be a realist.
