The Care and Feeding of your Outlook

See this little critter? Cute, right? It’s called an Outlook, and we all have one.

Your Outlook resides in your psyche. You directly influence its form with the thoughts and beliefs you feed it. In turn, your Outlook influences how you see the world.

Through my many years of field research, I’ve determined that there are two major forms of Outlooks: Hope and Doom. Neither of these forms are permanent or predetermined; they evolve and shift based on their diets.

Let’s take a closer look!

Ah, the Doom form. A bit troublesome, isn’t he?

Dooms like to sit on their hosts, rendering them immobile. A Doom Outlook will keep its host in one place so it has ample opportunity to snack upon their anxieties. Dooms thrive in this environment and will continue to grow more and more cumbersome.

When Doom Outlooks get comfortable, they become louder and louder until they can be heard by those around their host, encouraging their Outlooks to also shift into Dooms! Us professional Outlookologists call this chain of reaction an Epidoomic, and they are frighteningly easy to get caught up in.

The best way to stop an Epidoomic is to interrupt the spread by employing and engaging with Hope Outlooks, which are contagious in their own way.

An Outlook in Hope form loves the taste of things being imagined, created, and cherished. Hopes are best fed when their host is dreaming, doing, and connecting.

A Hope Outlook will help its host get out into the world to make and inspire change. The light of a strong Hope Outlook will shine through their host’s eyes, mouths, and, on rare occasions, nostrils, attracting other Outlooks and encouraging them to shift into Hope form too. 

Many Hope Outlooks together tend to lead directly to community, care, and creativity.

But, wait! We must pause here and acknowledge an important distinction.

Don’t confuse Outlooks with Emotions! 

You can experience any emotion regardless of what form your Outlook takes, though different Outlooks may be more prone to inspiring different emotions.

For example, your Outlook can remain in Hope form while you’re sad, angry, or scared. Emotions come and go, and Hope can help you through them. Make sure not to suppress or villainize your emotions! (And while you’re at it, try to treat Doom with a loving firmness and yourself with kindness, always.)

Speaking of the little rascal…Do you think your Outlook is currently a Doom?

Not to worry! It’s never too late to shift your Outlook from its Doom form to its Hope form.

Careful feeding of imagination, love, and determination will help your Outlook, as will learning from others who are well-practiced in tending their own Hope.

If you feel Doom taking over, do not panic; reminders from your community and loved ones or a well-filled spritzer bottle can tamp that Doom right down!

So, there you have it!

Living with an Outlook isn’t always easy, but with proper care and feeding, yours too can be full of Hope!