{"id":3138,"date":"2024-08-15T22:58:16","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T21:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dancingthroughdementia.com\/?p=3138"},"modified":"2024-08-15T22:58:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T21:58:16","slug":"what-will-life-look-like-because-of-the-optimism-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dancingthroughdementia.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/15\/what-will-life-look-like-because-of-the-optimism-post\/","title":{"rendered":"What will life look like…because of the “Optimism” post?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week we are reviewing the 7\/1\/2023 post titled “Optimism”. We are looking for “takeaways” and then answering for our own selves the question, “What will life look like because of takeaways from that ‘Optimism’ post?” You can review that post by clicking here: Optimism Post 7\/1\/2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In last week’s post [“What Will Life Look Like…Because of Verna?”] I also talked about optimism, in that I found myself somewhat like husband Denny’s grandmother Verna, taking what life hands us and finding ways to “make it good”. My takeaway from THAT post was that I wanted to emulate Verna’s boldness and perseverance. But I went further, wanting to envision myself in God’s hands, trusting Him to give me sure footing in difficult times. I wanted to recognize that He is guiding me; I wanted to learn the lessons He wants me to learn; I wanted to be all HE wants me to be before He takes me home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week as I reread the Optimism post from a year ago last July, I see within that post another lesson from the Stockdale Paradox: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end–which you can never afford to lose–with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” So in that post, I reviewed all that had happened and questioned myself to see if I was indeed confronting the “most brutal facts of my reality”. The “A-#1” brutal fact was that my husband had died. The brutal part was that he is with me no longer, but the positive part was that Denny’s suffering ceased. Additional positives: Den’s funeral led to a celebration of his life, and to a reviewing of the IMPACT he had on all of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takeaways from the “Optimism” POST<\/strong>
I had ended the Optimism post with an acknowledgment that I wanted to be as “intentional about being influential” in my children’s and grandchildren’s lives as husband DENNY was. I thought (at that Optimism blogpost date) that I would find comfort in such a pursuit. Denny had incredible impact on us musically and spiritually. But I couldn’t BEGIN to add to such impact. In fact, my KIDS are doing a better job with that then I am. All of them are superb musicians at a level I never even hoped to achieve. And spiritually, they are teaching ME! Byron schedules bible studies and I sit amazed at the depth… I am nowhere close to making an impact other than with the impact of my body hitting the floor when I fall out of my chair from being so surprised at the depth of the bible studies! Hah!

So I am struggling to find a takeaway from the Optimism post, unless it would simply be… <\/p>\n\n\n\n