Pessimism

I found myself surprisingly motivated by pessimistic thoughts, driven to action by what I previously thought was a "negative" perspective, but I now realize is neither "good" nor "bad," it's just another voice that needs to have equal say during the decision-making process. Now pessimism has a "seat at the table," so to speak. What motivates you?

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Welcome to the Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast.
Our intention is to awaken, enlighten, enrich, and inspire a simple and uncomplicated life.
Discover the benefits of mindful living with your host, Timber Hawkeye.

(00:27):
I am typically a cross between an optimist and a realist. I can see the silver lining in
every situation and often catch glimmers of hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Recently, however, I found myself unexpectedly motivated by pessimism,
of all things, which the dictionary defines as the tendency to believe the worst will happen.

(00:50):
After driving 17,000 miles around the US for the past three months,
sleeping on a different couch each night of the book tour, I briefly returned home to
prepare for the next leg of the tour across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
That final day on the road in the US began with an eight-hour drive
that started in below-freezing temperatures,

(01:11):
but ended on California's warm and beautiful Central Coast.
All I wanted to do was crawl into my own bed for the first time in months, but there were
two hours of sunlight left,
and although a part of me said, "Just relax tonight, Timber, and go on a hike tomorrow,"
a new, pessimistic voice in my head spoke up for the first time,
saying, "Tomorrow's weather is going to suck. Go on a hike NOW!"

(01:35):
I was so surprised by this unfamiliar and commanding voice,
I didn't even unpack the car.
I just put on my hiking shoes and climbed the nearest mountain.
What motivated me was not the nice weather, it was the pessimistic belief that the next day
was going to be miserable.
I thought to myself, not only could this be your last chance to hike for a long time,

(01:57):
but there's a good chance you're going to get sick soon with all these temperature changes
and everyone else has the flu, COVID, or both,
so, go on a hike now, because who knows when you'll feel this good again?
What a dark, depressing, yet wonderful mantra that is:
Who knows when you'll feel this good again?
It's dreadful, yes, but it got me up the mountain!
And sure enough, it wasn't long before California was hit with

(02:20):
one of the biggest storms of all time.
I'm not saying "Be a pessimist," but can you see the benefit of sometimes living as if
you know you will be sick next week?
Don't get so carried away that you manifest sickness, but have just enough pessimism
to embrace the present moment because it may be your last.
I think it's good to use this perspective if optimism feels inauthentic to you, or if

(02:44):
"Fake it until you make it" doesn't resonate with you but you still need to be motivated.
All I'm saying is that the pessimist in me now has a seat at the table, so to speak,
because it turns out he has some valid points.
When Tyler Durden said, "Losing all hope is freedom," this may be what he meant.
It's a harsh perspective, but it works.
The present moment, bad as it may be, might still be better than what comes next.

(03:09):
So, let's not put off until tomorrow what we can accomplish today.
Laugh if you want, but I now picture two versions of myself:
one standing behind me, gently saying, "Don't look back, Timber, the past is over and done."
"Turn around and look ahead!"
But, if I overcorrect and look too far beyond the present moment, the other version of me

(03:30):
aggressively says, "What are you doing?"
"Tomorrow may never come. This moment is all you've got. So, live it or lose it!"
This is the first podcast in the new year, and the pessimist in me is in the background
chanting, "Live it or lose it! Live it or lose it!"
I think we can all benefit from taking that advice with each breath. "Live it or lose it."

(03:52):
When we had our monthly group discussion to unpack this blog entry over Zoom,
we uncovered other ways to feel motivated that we would typically consider as negative
and worthless as pessimism, such as fear or hitting rock bottom,
both of which can be an incredible platform from which to spring forward.
The image of the Yin Yang symbol came to mind, where everything

(04:14):
good has something bad in it, and everything bad has something good.
So, I won't be so quick to dismiss negative experiences or thoughts anymore.
I will treat all the voices in my head as a democracy prior to making a decision.
For example, before I drove to Medford from Bend, OR over the Cascades during a storm,
I bought some snow chains in case I needed them because the pessimist in me

(04:37):
said I'm going to hit rough weather, but the optimist in me told me to keep the receipt
in case I need to return the chains. It turned out they were both right:
there was so much ice and snow on the road, I ended up driving 20 MPH the whole way,
but at no point did I get out of the car in 17-degree weather to put on the chains.
This whole concept of embracing each moment fully reminds me of how beautifully

Alicia Keys sang (05:01):
I don't want to forget the present is a gift, and I don't want to take for
granted the time you have here with me. Because Lord knows another day is not
guaranteed, so every time you hold me, hold me like it's the last time.
And every time you kiss me, kiss me like you'll never see me again.
On the one hand, it's dark and depressing, but on the other, it is beautiful and empowering,

(05:27):
The Yin and the Yang.
So, rather than think of pessimism as always bad, or optimism as always good,
let's get rid of the negative association with
pessimism, and give both of those voices a seat at the table.
As Rumi said, "Beyond right and wrong, there is a field; I will meet you there."
Timber Hawkeye is the bestselling author of Buddhist Boot Camp, Faithfully Religionless,

(05:52):
and the Opposite of Namaste.
For additional information, please visit BuddhistBootCamp.com,
where you can order autographed books to support the Prison Library Project,
watch Timber's inspiring TED Talk, and join our monthly mailing list.
We hope you have enjoyed this episode
and invite you to subscribe for more thought-provoking discussions.

(06:13):
Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love 🙏🏼