By Charlie Vannatter
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17
YOU are the average of the five people YOU hang around with. If YOUR friends are optimistic, YOU will also be optimistic.
Senior Olivia Marshall surrounds herself with friends who are invested in their faith, which helps her maintain a positive attitude every day at school.
¨I would say I’m optimistic every day, just surrounding myself with people who share the same values as me and make me laugh and make me smile,¨ Marshall said. ¨And just knowing that I have a purpose that’s rooted in Christ, that gives me a good reason to get up in the morning.¨
Life brings challenges and hardships to everyone. Even optimistic students at Delta High School go through hard times, but their mindset is what helps them stay positive.
When things go wrong for Marshall she said she just reminds herself that there are people who are less fortunate than her and the situation could always be worse than what she faces.
Senior Elizabeth Bamidele said, “I would say just understanding my ‘why’ and, my why is usually just my family, my friends, and just who I’m going to serve every day, and that’s the Lord.”
One time that Bamidele struggled with optimism was during Covid back when she was in middle school. She said what really helped her was finding her faith and surrounding herself with the right people who would help her push and grow with that situation.
In addition, optimism has paid off for senior Hudson Ewing.
Ewing said that it really helps because when you make a mistake in a sport such as getting pinned in wrestling or making a bad pass in football, you have to move on to the next play.
“Optimism truly just helps you not dwell on your mistake that you made, because sports is really just a mental game, as well as a physical game,” Ewing said.
To stay optimistic, Ewing prays and reads the Bible. He said he asks God for his strength and energy throughout the day. He doesn’t just keep a positive mindset on himself but tries to shine that on to others.
Sophomore Joel Keys says that his tip for someone who isn’t very optimistic is to have a plan in place and something to rely on. He believes it helps to remember that good things are ahead.
Keys stays positive by just having a plan that is all thought out and just knowing that the small stuff doesn’t matter in the big scheme of things.
Similarly sophomore Destinee Drown stays optimistic every day by having her friends to lean on and knowing that she can be an example to everyone else if she stays positive.
“There’s always a way to get through everything,” Drown said, “and no matter what happens, you’ll always have people there for you.”
Another optimistic student is sophomore Shiloh Bunch.
When something goes wrong for Shiloh, she says, “I try to stay positive by praying and surrendering it to God. Sometimes I ask Him for advice and just know that God will work all things for the good and I don’t have to worry about things when they don’t always go perfectly.”
Bunch says she is continually optimistic because Jesus Christ keeps her being optimistic every single day. It helps her to know that she has a higher power to rely on.
Ewing had a tip for those who aren’t as optimistic.
“This is gonna sound stupid, but just be positive,” Ewing said. “It’s really just a mental thing. Just try to be positive as much as possible, which is basically what optimism is. Really try to switch your mental state or, like I did, give your life to Christ, because it really does truly improve your life and how you think and how you go about your day.”
