What If Everything Works Out?!

What If Everything Works Out?!

WRITTEN BY HALAMBA OSINI SENARA RATHNASIRI CLASS OF 2026

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” Winston Churchill

INTRODUCTION

In a world often consumed by worry and uncertainty, it is refreshing to consider the possibility that everything might turn out well in the end. The purpose of this article is to envision most of our lives from an optimistic perspective. It is to ignore reality or refuse to work on real-life problems. When we encounter challenges and hardships in life, as a preparatory measure, we tend to focus only on the worst-case scenario and act upon that.

WHAT IF?

What if, against all odds, the challenges we encounter get resolved, what we think is hard turns out to be easy, the risks we take will pay off, and the dreams we have about our future come true? When we try to focus on the bestcase scenario instead of the worst, use our determination and creativity, and believe in what we do, the possibility of achieving our goals might be within reach. Hence, by daring to ask and believe, “What if everything works out?” we open ourselves to the possibility of reaching our goals in a transformative way by changing the perspective from which we think and react to our challenges.

AS CHILDREN AND AS ADULTS

As children, we believed everything we saw, heard, or read, which, from my point of view, turned into having doubt and fear about everything in adulthood. In my opinion, I believe that in childhood, our experiences with societal expectations and misconceptions such as being cautious in doing things, avoiding certain people, or achieving certain goals to be successful and happy; have influenced our actions as adults. Consequently, as adults, we often panic, fear, doubt, and worry when faced with unfamiliar circumstances.

This article encourages the readers to reflect on their limiting beliefs and analyze how those beliefs have impacted their decision-making in daily life. Most people believe that being positive is unrealistic or challenging, and they often question the benefits of optimism. Instead of believing in the outcome or focusing on the path of achieving the desired outcome, they focus on the obstacles and challenges.

THE POWER OF OPTIMISM

Optimism can be a powerful tool to be used not only in our personal lives but also in our professional lives. The one who tries to see the positive aspects of life will have the ability to deal with the stress that comes from different situations and will also have the resilience to face setbacks in life. Being optimistic inspires us to push boundaries and achieve things that we consider impossible. There are many celebrities, powerful leaders, and successful individuals in the world who achieve their own goals and dreams by imagining themselves as their best possible selves. The optimistic mindset expressed in this article is not just about positive thinking.

It is a cognitive shift that allows us to see the world through a different lens. When we tend to expect positive outcomes and imagine creating the best version of ourselves; we unknowingly make a profound change in our well-being and life outcomes (Carver, Scheier, 2014).

I found myself always overthinking about what would go wrong in life and focusing only on the failures I had. That made me want to change my mind set to a more positive one focusing on the fact that “what if everything works out?!”. That led me to search for how to surround oneself with positivity. Being grateful and practicing gratitude was introduced by many successful people in the world as a great way to be optimistic. Also, when we find ourselves diving deep into negative thoughts and worries, we can take a step back and focus on the present moment. We can challenge our negative thoughts and beliefs and replace them with positive self-talk.

THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVITY

Many people who are maintaining a healthy relationship with themselves and their environment have stated the importance of starting the day with positivity by using positive affirmations, visualization or inspirational reading. This one habit, we all can start practicing as students in general, celebrating our achievements in life whether they are small or big. As students in general, we also can start celebrating our achievements in life whether they are small or big.

POWER OF POSITIVITY

A study on cancer patients found that diagnosis, treatment, and recurrence of cancer significantly impact their quality of life, leading to depression (Mousavi, Esmaeili, 2015). Positive thinking training given to the patients improved their resilience and quality of life, with factors like religious beliefs, spiritual health, hope, and a purposeful life contributing to the upliftment. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to wake up every day without worrying about death or suffering. We have the chance to learn from our mistakes, forget about our regrets, plan for our future, and work towards our goals and dreams. Hence, whatever the problem is, however big it is, we have the option of looking at the brighter side of things and finding solutions.

However, excessive or unrealistic optimism can lead to overconfidence. Hence, it is important to keep a balance without being too pessimistic or overly optimistic. This phenomenon, emphasizes how our desire to feel good and maintain a positive self-image can often prevent us from seeing potential risks and difficulties (Carver, Scheier, 2014). For example, in certain situations, such as when gambling, this overly positive attitude can harm an individual.

In the end, the question is, "What if everything works out?" allows us to picture a scenario in which our dreams come true and our challenges in life are replaced by a happier, more fulfilling outcome. Even though this vision might not always come true, it can nevertheless be a strong source of inspiration for us to act and work towards a more peaceful, fulfilling future. Through a realistic assessment of the obstacles we confront and an embrace of optimism, we may realize our full potential and design the life that we want.