Metaphors Gone Wild: Madness and Hope

CAN YOU DO CAMUS? 

Albert Camus once asserted, "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." It is this belief in a metaphoric summer's return that sustains us when all around us seems bleak. Why does one person succumb to the freezing of hope and another recognizes the temporary nature of a desolate mental or emotional scene? Ideally, we can find within ourselves the strength to define temporary obstacles to happiness as less-than-permanent roadblocks on our life's path.

USE THE ROI FORMULA 

Those who depend on their own invincible summers to sustain them understand that crises--actual or anticipated--can often be converted into opportunities. In the financial realm, "ROI" refers to a "return on investment." As we use it here, it's a means of maximizing the return on the investment you have made... in yourself. The investment involves thinking positively, creatively, and faithfully. It is an investment not so much of money as of time and effort. It is a pledge to view a negative experience in the most favorable light possible. Optimists are determined to find the silver linings in each cloud; they are persistent in their efforts to turn lemons to lemonade; they are adamant in their belief that if you want to see rainbows, you usually have to put up with the rain.

R = READ 

One of the best ways to turn around large and small adversities is to read about others who have managed to create a mind-set that converts negativity to positivity. To illustrate, there is a growing trend among wedding planner to use less rice. Rice stings sometimes when throw at the happy couple and their guests. It creates slippery conditions. It is difficult to seep up. Swallowtail Farms in El Dorado Hills, California, has optimized the trend. In lieu of rice, they sell packets of butterflies to be released by guests. Truly, if one man's metaphoric trash can become another man's treasure, one trend can be "trashed" to allow a different trend to replace it.

O = OPPORTUNIZE 

It's been said that it's better to be ready for an opportunity and not encounter it, than to have that opportunity and not be ready to take full advantage of it. Making an investment in yourself means having support systems in place. The systems may include intellectual readiness. They may be networks of individual who can support or teach you. They may also mean the physical equipment that may be needed when opportunity presents itself. Assess what your realized goals may require. Then, go about preparing for the opportunities that may come your way.

I = IMAGINE 

Imagination plays an important role in converting obstacles into opportunities. A string of defeats can surely dampen one's enthusiasm. Jockey Eddie Arcaro, for example, lost 250 races in a row. But he imagined himself a winner and ultimately became one. Yes, despair can create the illusion of failure that doesn't end. But imagining ourselves ultimately successful is a powerful tool for sustaining hope.

VOLTAIREAN VIEWS 

Voltaire once observed that "optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable." Perhaps a bit of madness, in the face of adversity, is a good thing. And, if you fear being labeled "mad," be heartened by Salvatore Dali's self-description, "The only difference between a madman and me is that I am not mad!" Here's to the "madness" that will allow you to see beyond the temporary misery facing you.

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