When creating my profile here on Bold.org the first sentence I included was, "Fall seven times and get up eight". As a 26-year-old, I believe I have endured enough pain to have deprived me of seeking happiness. Fortunately for me, I am just not that type of person. To remain optimistic through tough times is to count my blessings and remind myself of my potential. For nothing bad lasts forever. To start, we have to acknowledge that part of life includes dealing with its hardships. Without them, there'd be no growth. However, our attitude makes a huge difference. Approaching our problems as minor setbacks and not permanent conditions allows us to be more appreciative of our existing blessings. One thing that always set me at ease is counting my blessings. Everything you have might be exactly what someone else is wishing for and so we cannot be blinded by our struggles and forget optimism. Being aware of what you have can sometimes ease the pain of what you don't. Through that you can remain optimistic and hopeful towards achieving your goals or dealing with hardships. For example, I am a single mother of twins, and my two blessings are what drive me towards the pursuance of my degree in spite of all my setbacks. Not only shall we count our blessings, but we shall not forget our true potential. Remembering the faith that your inner child had in yourself in your younger years, should be enough to encourage you to want to do more. Believing in myself has taught me to never settle for less. We all deserve to release our full potential and show the world are skills, and the world deserves us. The only person who can truly limit you is yourself. Optimism is realizing you can.