By Leona Chen–Wong

Optimism, to me, is a mindset and attitude that perceives the current situation as a “half-full cup,” finding it sufficient and excellent, while also believing that the future will always be better than today regardless of personal decisions.

Pessimism, on the other hand, is a mindset and attitude that views the current situation as a “half-emptied cup,” deeming it insufficient and negative, and holding the belief that the future will only get worse outside of one’s control.

A realist, to me, approaches situations from a factual perspective, without emotional bias. For example, if a cup has a capacity of 100ml and currently contains 50ml, a realist would simply acknowledge this fact. Realists base their estimations on today’s actions and decisions when contemplating the future.

As for me, I was raised in a cultural environment that discouraged the expression of ’emotions’ and upheld ‘facts’ as superior. This upbringing molded me into functioning more like a realist, which served me well in professional settings but came at the cost of my personal well-being. It created a disconnect between my mind and heart, logic and intuition, and religious and relational spirituality with God.

When I married an optimist, we had several different perspectives and viewpoints on various situations. Yet, when God blessed us with our firstborn, it became a catalyst for us to embrace more of each other’s outlook on life. For me, the arrival of our child brought a surge of motherly hormones, instincts, and emotions. This broke through my rigid mindset of “facts over feelings” and filled my life with fun, creativity, and compassion. This overflowed into my preaching, and I started receiving comments about how my preaching changed as I entered into motherhood. On the other hand, my husband shifted towards a “function over feelings” approach to life, focusing on achieving goals and being more proactive in reaching them (rather than passively assuming everything would work out). The outcomes of these shifts were positive for both of us and reinforced our growth mindset to be flexible and moldable.

What I admire about optimism and realism is their close relationship with resilience; the ability to come back after being knocked down by difficult circumstances. It’s relatable to our Christian faith, where we understand sin’s impact but have assurance in the victory through our Lord Jesus for those who give their allegiance to Jesus (Romans 8:37).

As believers, we are optimists because our confidence in Jesus’ victory over sin and in Jesus Christ is always a resounding “Yes and Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20; John 16:33). We are also realists, understanding that the fallen nature of the world leaves us yet to fully experience the goodness of the Lord and His enduring love (Psalm 34:8; Psalm 145:8; Romans 2:4). Christians’ choices of belief and actions of faith impact the reality of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 2:10).

In our calls and roles as influencers towards allegiance to King Jesus, (1) we know and embrace our God-given identity that remains steadfast in different seasons (Galatians 3:26; 1 Corinthians 2:12; John 1:12; Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1). Simultaneously, (2) we recognize that our circumstances do not define us, and even in tough situations, we are given the Holy Spirit as our Counselor and Comforter (John 14:26).

In my current season of life, both as a mother and intergeneration pastor, I am pondering how to raise spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy children. I long to witness and be a part of a generation strong in the Lord, resilient in the face of a pessimistic world, and fully committed to worshiping God with their heart, soul, mind, and strength in all that they are and wherever they are placed.

Leona Chen-Wong is a Canadian-born Chinese who was raised in Hong Kong. She moved to California in 2017 to pursue her MDiv, where she had the opportunity to meet her husband, Andrew. Throughout the past 10 years, Leona has served as a youth and young adult pastor in Asian American church settings. Currently, she is on maternity leave, devoting her time to caring for their first child while supporting her husband in their local church ministry.