“Excessive mirth makes us unfit for serious thought. It fritters away energy of the mind in vain. The stronger the will, the less yielding [the mind is] to the sway of emotions. Excessive hilarity is quite as objectionable as too much of sad seriousness, and all realization is only possible when the mind is in a steady, peaceful condition of equilibrium.”
— Swami Vivekananda
Optimism is important. Without it, we wouldn’t do anything to make our lives better. We’d lie on the couch, brooding, thinking everything is doomed.
But excessive happiness or excitability are equally harmful. We behave as if everything is great and blind ourselves to the brutal facts. Like the need to skill up because our current skills are redundant. Or that the people we call our friends are the ones holding us back. Or that we’re being manipulated to dangerous levels (think of the millions who lost their money in the 2008 subprime crisis.)
You can overcome the storm if you keep your head, not if you stick it in the sand. Don’t ignore problems with excessive happiness or delusion. Have the courage to acknowledge what is in front of you. That’s when you will build the courage to do something about it.
When you take action, you will realize that your life, to a large extent, is in your control.