“Optimism is vital precisely because, throughout the course of life, so many things will go wrong. Trivial or catastrophic, setbacks and upsets pepper our existence, but they have to. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t run into problems. We wouldn’t develop without the experience of them. Our lives aren’t measured in a vacuum. We define ourselves—and are defined by others—by how we react to the things that happen to us. Every occurrence, good or bad, presents an opportunity for knowledge and growth. A negative experience doesn’t warrant a negative reaction. We have to surpass our temptation to resent or withdraw from our afflictions if we are to learn from them.”

Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 77)