Return on Life: Realistic Optimism

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I am very much an optimist. You know that I believe that we can all accomplish more than we would ever imagine if we dream big and follow our hearts. However, as much of an optimist as I am, I am still a realist and you need to be as well. Don't ever limit your dreams, but don't forget to consider the facts. Case in point:

In traveling via airplane, you may be optimistic that you will be allow to actually carry all of your carry on luggage with you, stowing it IN the plane with you rather than pre-checking it or even yellow tagging it as you board the plane. That's a good, positive way to think. However, you have to also deal with the facts. If your suitcase is 24" long and has a hard plastic, fixed handle, it WILL NOT FIT in the 20" deep overhead bin unless there is enough room to turn it lengthwise. Being optimistic that you can jam it in there is not dreaming big. It's just unrealistic.

What WILL happen if you try to make it fit by slamming the bin door shut is NOT that your luggage will magically shrink and fit within the closed bin. What WILL happen is that the bracket on the door will break. You'll have then succeeded in delaying the flight for about 3o minutes, which is how long it will take to get the maintenance men out to diagnose the situation and install a new bracket. Trust me, I watched it all happen last Thursday! The reason I share this is that when we are completely unrealistic (not fact-based) in our dreams and plans and then things don't turn out the way we had hoped, we tend to develop a jaded view of dreaming in general. I don't want that to happen! We need our dreams and our inspirations to even BEGIN to achieve all we're capable of.

So dream big, but don't forget the facts. And the next time you're on a plane, don't try to force the door of the overhead bin--you'll still have to check your bag, and in the meantime, you'll make yourself and everyone else late!