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Justin Fuller’s Speech

First, allow me to define optimism. According to the New Merriam-Webster Dictionary, optimism is a doctrine that this world is the best possible world. Optimism helps people look at the better side of things. A pessimistic person looks at the glass as being half-empty. If you are optimistic, you look at the glass as being half-full.

Imagine how much better this world would be if everyone was optimistic. Newscasters would target better events rather than worse events. You might hear good on the news for a change.

Optimism In My Life: I feel optimism can help stop war and violence. If Saddam Hussien would look at the U.N. weapons inspections as a good thing, we might not be attacking him now. Saddam had better realize that President Clinton has no mercy for him and his country anymore, if he wants to live much longer. He should be optimistic and let the weapons inspectors back in right now if he doesn’t want to be destroyed.

Optimism can also help stop violence. If a pessimistic person is insulted, they usually get mad at the person who insulted them and try to hurt them. When an optimistic person is insulted, they just walk away and think that person was raised wrong or something.

If criminals would take an optimistic look at themselves, they might not feel the need to the bad things that they are doing. Optimism could help that criminal through their tough times.

If cops were more optimistic, they might not feel the need to use guns in a bad situation. I think that policemen should be trained to talk through tough situations.

If optimism was in everyone’s life, I might feel safer walking the streets. Parents might let their children play with children of a different race. If optimism was in everyone’s life, racism probably wouldn’t exist. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. might still be alive today. If optimism were in everyone’s life, the world would be a safer place.

Optimism In My Life: I feel optimism can help children learn more. If more children were optimistic, there wouldn’t be a shortage of jobs like scientists, doctors, and other occupations that require high levels of education. Instead of children whining about having to much homework, they might say, “I’m going to get my homework done right when I get home.” I, as a child, have whined about having too much homework, but when I think of how it will affect me in the long run, I say, “I’m going to do this right the first time.” If I don’t do my homework, the zeros will keep adding up, thus resulting me not having enough education to go to a good college and get a good job so I can live out my goals and dreams.

The only reason I think this way is because I am optimistic. That’s all it takes to succeed.

Children need to be taught at home, too. The parents need to take time out to play with their kids and to teach them. I have seen the result of children not being taught by their parents. Most children who are not taught by their parents usually do not succeed. The education does not stop there. The child also learns from the people they are around.

These people become role models in the way the child acts. If a child has good role models, they behave well and are most likely optimistic.

I am optimistic because I was taught to be, and because I have good role models. Bad role models teach children to be self-centered fools that constantly show off. I have looked up to bad role models, but now when I look at those people I ask myself, “Do I want to turn out like them?” Role models don’t have to be famous; they can be next-door neighbors.

I hope you have learned from my speech. This is the optimism in my life. Is it in yours?