A realist sees reality and says "this is real". An optimist sees his dreams / expectations and says "they will come true". A realistically optimistic person would see reality and his/her dreams / expectations and would say "I will try and be able to accomplish some of them."
Realistic optimism argues that a positive outcome is possible and is the result of a combination of factors. Important here is the role of our effort regarding the goal or problem to be solved, the identification and acceptance of both the possibilities and weaknesses that exist.
This is a way of approaching that gives a positive perspective for the future, even if we are currently facing difficulties. The key point here is to connect the prospects for the future with the reality of the present. In practice, this is possible when:
- we reconsider and shape our expectations based on the reality we experience and not just based on desires and / or fantasies
- we approach our goals with flexibility. We review the data, retain those we assess as feasible and abandon those we currently assess as impossible
- believe in ourselves and our potential without underestimating the challenges we may need to manage
- we actively mobilize towards the achievement of our goals recognizing and accepting that the process of achieving them can take time, need adjustments, and even involve failure.
Such an attitude enables us to conserve cognitive and emotional resources as we embrace reality with all its difficulties and focus on seeking alternative ways to deal with aspects of reality that can be improved by us, thereby reaping the benefits that arise.