“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” This quote is from William Shakespeare. Act 2, Scene 2 in Hamlet. Here’s the exchange:
HAMLET
Denmark’s a prison.
ROSENCRANTZ
Then I guess the whole world is one.
HAMLET
Yes, quite a large one, with many cells and dungeons, Denmark being one of the worst.
ROSENCRANTZ
We think not so, my lord.
HAMLET
Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
I was driving home yesterday and saw “2020 SUCKS” written on the back of a car. It got me thinking about the quote by Shakespeare. This year Denmark is COVID-19.
In many ways, this year has been extremely challenging due to the pandemic. It’s easy to be a pessimist and only see the birdcage linings. But I challenge you on this day of “Thanks” to spend a moment to choose optimism. There are silver linings to sew.
It is easier to be critical. That’s our reflex as humans. But I encourage you to create some space. In the words of Viktor Frankl, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Choose optimism. Pessimists may be right more often, but optimists are more fun to hang out with.