Be More Olaf

Why this little snowman has optimism nailed.

We’ve heard it said so often, “Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty person?” Personally, I like the joke that says “Optimists say the glass is half full, pessimists say the glass is half empty, and philosophers say that the glass is too big”.

All jokes aside though, we live in a world where the glass half empty mentality is becoming far too commonplace. We are so quick to look on the negative side of things, and we don’t always see the beauty and blessing in even the harder things of life.

In the song “In Summer” from the Frozen soundtrack (which is currently stuck in my head), Olaf sings of all the wonderful things he imagines he will enjoy when (not if) he gets to experience summer. He never even questions the thought that when summer comes, he will no longer be there because he will have melted.

Near the end of the song, the rhyming set up of the lyrics clearly shows that if Olaf had followed with convention, he would undoubtedly melt, turning into a puddle, which would complete the rhyme. This little snowman turns away and in an act of outward defiance, sings of the joy he will have when he gets to experience bees and dandelions and flowers, and the beach and sunshine. He lists all of these wonderful things, believing with all of his unfrozen heart that he will get to see and experience them.

This is something that we as humans do far too rarely. In the constant rat race of life, how often do we actually step off the track and actually just experience something for the pure, simplistic enjoyment of it, without trying to find problems or complaining about it? I know I don’t do this anywhere near enough.

At one of the main crises of the movie, Olaf is trying to keep Anna warm, and in doing this, he risks melting, and he says that heart rending line “Some people are worth melting for” Not only does Olaf’s character show the kind of reckless optimism that I wish we all had, but he shows an absolutely self sacrificial nature when he is willing to give up his very being, and essentially die, if it will save his friend Anna.

I think that Olaf’s optimism can teach us a lot about life. I know I’m the first one to complain when it’s raining, but lately I’ve been thinking about the countries that have long periods of drought; the places where there is a very real and frightening risk of wildfires, and I am so thankful that we have enough rain to make this an unlikely occurrence in this country.

In contrast, there are those people (yup, I don’t understand them either) that will complain when it’s sunny and say that it’s too hot. The truth is that no one will ever be one hundred percent happy with their lot in life, but this week, I am going to try and be more like Olaf, and live with the kind of optimism that makes living my life a better and more positive thing.

So I ask, who’s going to join me, and be a little more like the little snowman who finally got to experience summer at the end of the movie?