Zodiac Masterclass Series – The Sagittarian Guide to Optimism

Sagittarius New Moon Mandala painted by Sarah Berry
Line Mandala from Mandala Colouring Book by Barry Stevens
available at http://www.mandalas.freeserve.co.uk/colouringinbook.html

This is the third of an occasional series written about the expertise of each Sun Sign. I am still looking for the Capricorn who can write a guide to Ambition. The articles will be found under the category “Zodiac Masterclass” so that eventually there will be 12 such articles, e.g. “The Piscean Guide to Compassion”, “The Gemini Guide to Communication”,”The Aries Guide to Authenticity” etc. Each article will be written by someone who has the Sun Sign in question.

Here guest blogger Marion Kobylinksi writes about Optimism and trusting the wisdom of the Universe. I had to scout around for another Sagittarius to write it – I couldn’t write it myself, could I?

Marion is a well-loved Alexander Teacher who practises in Salisbury, and has been an enormous help to my family. Her piece is short and sweet!

As a Sagittarian myself, I would not be able to add anything. However cynical a sign you may be, there are times you just need to look at life in the Panglossian way of a Sagittarian.

A word about the mandala: I think you’ll agree it is stunning and beautiful. It reminds me of a Sagittarian poem or song (whose authorship I have never been able to establish):

Three rings has the circus, the color of hullabaloos, jumping Jupiter things, yellow and red turquoise bands, plus, Sagittarius! Ah, Sagittarius! Bringing laughter to the clowns, tumbling with the acrobats, telling fortunes to the gypsies. Walking with the wire-walkers, Sagittarius looks down and applauds the crowd for being brave.

The Sagittarian Guide to Optimism by Marion Kobylinski

The word optimism comes directly from the Latin optimus: best.

That quintessential optimist the Dalai Lama was speaking in the Albert Hall some twenty years ago, and his wonderful advice has never left me “Always prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best”.

Optimism is ‘looking on the bright side’ – knowing there always is a bright side. It doesn’t mean not seeing the dark side, the possible unpleasant outcomes, it just seems more practical not to focus on them. It means appreciating that there is always more than meets the eye and knowing that everything works out for the best in the end, however bad it may seem at the time.

At least that has always been my experience all through my life. Certainly the worst things have taught me the most – and after all we are here to learn. Somewhere I have come to acknowledge that the many mistakes I have made (and annoyingly seem to continue to make) really have been, and are, blessings in disguise. Granted, the disguises can often be fairly heavy and convincing! Yet without the inconvenience, pain and suffering, I being on the somewhat obtuse side, would not have had the spur to wake me up a bit.

Isn’t it best to be as awake as possible – and perhaps not miss “the many splendoured thing”?

The Sun is always shining whether we can see it or not – when it is cloudy it is easy to forget that fact: the clouds don’t prove that the sun isn’t shining. The clouds have a vital function – they are part of this amazing creation – they hold the rivers and seas and will fall as rain to water the earth so that it brings forth food to nourish and sustain all of the living creatures on it.

The light of the Sun and the compassion of the clouds are but a reflection of the unity of things. When the optimist in us remembers the whole picture we know that all is well – or if it doesn’t seems to be at the moment it will be; that everything works out for the best in the end!