Musings: Optimism is not a realistic strategy

I'm all for optimism and have been an optimist all my life (sometimes to my own detriment). However, optimism is a strategy for personal coping more than situational problem-solving. Speaking professionally, optimism without action will not help others complete their part of a cooperative project, though it certainly lends us energy and options to individually persevere. Speaking socially, waiting by the phone for someone to call does nothing, no matter how much hope one holds. A realistic strategy for success requires one to assume the possibility that nothing may be done by others, and then to act in order to accomplish one's professional or personal goals.