VITAMIN OPTIMISM

Your dose for today…

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore.”

—Andre Gide

Get on the love boat and don't look back!

We all know it’s important to be courageous. But sometimes we forget this is needed in love, too. Maybe the courage is obvious: Maybe you need to escape the relationship that’s beating down your soul, or  you have to let go of a hurt that’s holding you back. But courage in love can also be quietly necessary. Maybe your courage is needed in another way: Let go of the image you have in your head of the “perfect” relationship you always “pictured” as a kid. Maybe that white-picket-fence or planned-and-plotted relationship with a particular kind of person isn’t what’s meant for you.

Turn away from the shore and open yourself to a new future with a surprising partner and family, in a different kind of place that will make your heart burst in ways you never pictured were possible. If you don’t open your eyes to new possibilities, how will you ever recognize them? Have courage: Let go of the shore and head for the ocean to see the love that’s out there for you.

Big love,

Your dose for today…

“May you live all the days of your life.” —Jonathan Swift

Step out on the rocks, dive in, and do some living! (Image: AS)

It’s such a simple quote, I missed it the first time I read it. And I laughed the next time I read it. But if you really look at what he’s saying, you’ll be as moved as I am. Don’t just eat, drink and breathe your life. Live it. As a dating optimist, you know you’re going to have the relationship of your dreams, right? So don’t waste your single days with a sit-by-the-phone life! Step out there, do something big, make some bold moves, and really, truly live all these days of your life.

Big love,

Your dose for today…

Take just a few positive steps today. (Image: AS)

“I’m an optimist. I’ve always believed the future is going to be better than the past. And I also believe I have a role in that. The great thing about human beings, myself in particular, is that I can change. I can do better. If you can get up every day, stay optimistic, and believe the future is better than the past, those few things get you through a lot of tough times.” —Jeffrey Immelt

I love how he puts this and how right he is. Optimism isn’t something you either have or you don’t. It’s something you can start doing today, right now. Believe your dating and love future is going to be better than the past. It’s simple, but it’s hard. So don’t expect things to change in a snap! Just take it step by step by step, whether you’re wearing Converse Chucks or a pair of heels. This morning, for instance, forgive yourself for past mistakes, or forgive others for hurting you. If you want it to be so, your future will be better than your past.

Big love,

Your dose for today…

“When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities.”

—Deepak Chopra

Appreciate the possibilities (Image: AS)

What happens to us all may be by coincidence, or it may be that you’ve called it into your life. Don’t wave off the simple things—follow them like guideposts. The next cocktail invite you receive, date you’re asked out on, or yoga class you stumble across, give it credence. Say yes if you can. If you’re focusing on what you want and how you want to feel, life will provide signs to guide you there. Tune in today and follow those signs.

Big love,

Your dose for today…

Think of what you want to plant...and blow (Image: Ken Spencer)

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

—Robert Louis Stevenson

We talk so often about what we want to get—and I, too, ask you to focus with sheer determination on it. If you can focus on what you want with all your heart, you can have it. But while you ask to reap, look also at what you sow. Did you make someone feel secure about themselves today? Did you make someone smile? Did you feed the seed of someone else’s rough day or lonely night? Think about this, too, when you’re on your next date. Whether you like your date or not, remember that they are also on their own journey to find their half-orange, so don’t just think about what you got or didn’t from the date. Think about what you’re leaving them with, too.

Big love,