It might have made for a fitting closing number to Monty Python’s Life of Brian, but few would suggest that the answer to challenges and disappointments is always to look on the bright side. There’s no oneview-suits-all solution, after all, and there are times when realism, pessimism and even cynicism might have a valuable role to play.
Is it possible, however, for those who desire, to learn to anticipate different outcomes and picture setbacks within a more positive framework? This isn’t to ignore the difficulties when plans go awry or underestimate the frustration of goals not met, but more to accentuate elements where a measure of hopefulness might help to deliver different results in the future.