Select Entry- Barbara James, Age 48

Welcome to our Optimistic Essay category. Here you will find the $1,000 winning contest essay, 5 finalist essays and 15 honorable mention essays and a growing list of hand-picked select essays that readers submitted during our "Why Are You Optimistic About the Future?" contest.

I am optimistic because l believe that man is inherently good. I believe that no matter how we may complain about the little things, and worry about the big ones, ultimately we are very lucky and blessed with a rosy future. We have so many advantages today that our ancestors never did, and all we need to do is to take advantage of what we have, run with it, and make a better tomorrow for ourselves.

I consider myself to be the luckiest person on earth. I am blessed with children who love me no matter how much I nag them, a husband who loves me, warts and all, and a circle of family and friends who support me in just about everything that I do. I have worked hard for what I have, including a home filled with love and memories, I have a job that I enjoy, and where I'm privileged to help people, and I have the comforts that make life fun. Most of all, I have a sense of humor, as well as a healthy perspective on what is important. I treasure the small things that others might take for granted, such as hearing a favorite song on the radio; savoring a delectable piece of chocolate; stroking a puppy's soft back. These are pleasures that nourish the soul and make you glad to be alive.

Nature awes me. How can anyone with a heart and soul not be awed at the red sky of another brilliant sunrise, the blues and purples of the sun setting, and the stars in the velvet night sky that shimmer like millions of perfect diamonds?

The future, I think, is the tiny baby who clutches her mother's finger and gazes steadily into her eyes with pure love, hope and faith. The future is the school child who befriends others without noticing the color of their skin, what they're wearing, or where they live. The future is about the high school senior who volunteers after school rather than take a mall job because he knows that it's important to help those who need it most. The future is the single mother who vows to make a better life for her child, doesn't make excuses but goes ahead and works hard.

The future is the thousands of people who helped in New York City on September 12, 2001 and for months afterwards, because it was the right thing to do. You can see the future in the eyes of children organizing car washes and bake sales to benefit others, because they know that their efforts will ripple, like a rock skimming a lake, and help those who need it. The future is in the hearts of those who have been helped and who remember that even when things seemed the darkest, others came through because they believe in the future of each and every one of us.

Am I optimistic about the future? Of course I am. How can I not be? I can't control circumstances like hurricanes, terrorists, epidemics, global warming, drunk drivers or other disasters. What I can control is my reactions. I can prepare for inclement weather, I can take charge of my health by eating right, exercising and getting rest, and I can make sure my family is safe up to a point. With that, I can feel better that no matter what, I've done the best I can, and that's a powerful way of making me feel better about the world around us.

Optimism can be best defined, I think by the Serenity Prayer. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. I'm sending you this, with hope that someone will read it and enjoy it and perhaps learn a lesson from it. I hope it makes a difference in someone's life who needs it, and most of all, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.