I don’t know about you, but nothing is more annoying when someone tells you to be more optimistic at a time when you’re at your lowest.

And I’m sure it’s not because you can’t be optimistic, it’s just hard to look on the bright side when everything around you is burning down to the ground.

I get it.

But sometimes you have to think of these down-moments as a time for you to step back and regain your senses. A type of opportunity for you to get even farther than you were before.

At least that’s how Thomas Edison viewed it.

In December of 1914, Thomas Edison’s main research facility caught fire in West Orange, New Jersey. An unprecedented fire that engulfed the entire building—no thanks to the fuels and chemicals Edison kept stored throughout the facility.

Luckily, everyone made it out safely, and while a crowd began to gather around the building, they could hear Edison yell, “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again!”

Everyone began to wonder if he was in shock, because who wouldn’t? Edison was losing decades of work in a single night. And instead of falling to the ground and exclaiming how his life was over, all he said was, “We’ll rebuild. We’ll start over. It’s a fresh start!”

And that’s exactly what he did.

All this happened to him at the age of 67, and instead of being pessimistic, he got realistic and took it as an opportunity to be even bigger than he ever was before.

In other words, he took one step back in life in order to take two steps forward.

Within a few months, Edison was producing again faster and better than before. His story is now a great example of being optimistic on your own accord and choosing to take a negative moment and spinning it to a positive opportunity.

Just know, it can always be worse. And even if whatever happened to you is the worst thing you could ever imagine, then remember the classic motto:

“The good thing about hitting rock bottom is that the only way left to go is up.”

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of reading George Washington’s biography titled Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow.

Quote Of The Week - “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failing rate.” — Thomas Watson Sr