Optimism

I saw my favorite musical this weekend: Spamalot, based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The most famous song from the show is “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” which is about thinking positively even when life sucks.

In the musical, it’s sung to King Arthur when his quest for the Holy Grail isn’t going well.

In the Monty Python movie Life of Brian, where the song originated, it’s sung by a group of Romans being crucified.

Like a lot of things Monty Python, the song is layered.

On the one hand, it encourages us to remember life isn’t so bad.

On the other hand, it shows positive thinking can be taken too far.

Does it really make sense for someone hanging on a cross in the desert to look on the bright side? At a certain point, aren’t they allowed to feel unhappy?

I used to find positivity annoying. I wanted to know what was going wrong in people’s lives so I would feel less alone in my sadness.

But I’ve come to appreciate that, although we should all have outlets for sharing our anxieties and troubles, putting on a brave face can make us feel happier. 

I want Rozzie Fitness to be an outlet for happiness, a place where we can look on the bright side.

This doesn’t mean I expect our members to be happy all the time, or that I don’t want to hear what’s going on in their lives.

What it means is we’re going to point out everything they’re doing right: showing up to the gym, pushing hard, challenging themselves, learning new exercises.

I want our members to leave feeling happier than they did when they came in.