Is My Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

I’ve always found this question to be a little silly.  I know it relates to whether you consider yourself a pessimist or an optimist and when I was younger, I used to think that I needed to answer this question, based on those two choices.  But I’ve always been the type of person who tries to base decisions on reason, rather than emotion, at least most of the time.

As I’ve grown older (and hopefully wiser), I’ve come to the conclusion that I like to think of myself as a realist, rather than a pessimist or an optimist.  Now some people think a realist is just a pessimist in sheep’s clothing, but I disagree.  The way I see it, the glass is at the halfway point.  It is neither full nor empty at this point.  What is much more important is what will happen to the glass in the future.  And if it’s my glass, then really, what happens to it is up to me.

I can choose to drain the glass or I can choose to fill it up.  Draining the glass is always easier, but I will end up with an empty glass, which may not be a good thing.  Filling it up, may require effort.  As one is going through life, their glass is constantly being taken from and should constantly be added to.  The ratio that this takes place at is up to the glass owner.  I can choose to drain it quicker than I add to it, in which case eventually the glass will be empty.  I can add to it at a faster rate than I drain it in which case the glass will eventually fill to the rim and possibly even overflow (my cup runneth over).  The point being, the cup owner has control of his/her destiny and the amount of effort willing to be put in determines the outcome.  There is no predetermined fate.  The glass is at the halfway point.  Now you choose what you want to do with it.  Be a realist.