In Others’ Words: Be Optimistic

  Helen Keller was an amazing woman.

Born in 1880,  an illness left her deaf and blind when she was all of 19 months old. Helen had limited communication with her family until she was 7 years old — when Annie Sullivan arrived and worked with her to teach her sign language. Fast forward to 1904, when Helen was 24 years old and graduated from college, the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

And yes, there’s so much more to her life story.

But when you sift through her quotes — and I have to some degree — you discover a woman who chose to embrace life despite what she didn’t have: sight and hearing. She chose to savor life. To enjoy life. She chose to be happy.

Am I foolish enough to think Helen was never discouraged or frustrated? No. I’m sure there were times she wanted more … but it also seems as if she chose to believe that her life was not less than.

I am certain there were people who looked at her and saw all she could not do.

And yet Helen Keller seemed to be all about saying “Yes, I can. And I will.”

And she did.

In Your Words: What helps you stay optimistic? When have you chosen to say “Yes, I can” — choosing optimism and faith and hope — instead of being overcome by all the reasons you can’t? What did you achieve?

Be Optimistic and Say Yes! #lifequotes #HelenKeller
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What Helps You Stay Optimistic? #lifequotes #optimism
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