There is no law that declares optimism obligatory. You won't contravene some code if you enter into a negative frame of mind. The police won't rush to your door and demand immediate entrance shouting, 'Hands in the air, you stand accused of pessimism.' But then, if you do succumb to this moment, you effectively handcuff yourself and then become subject to a long and arduous trial. So put aside that 'funny feeling' that is making you uncomfortable. It is only a funny feeling, not a real feeling.People say, 'We should learn the lessons of history.' But often, a lot of time has to go by before it becomes truly possible for anyone to properly understand what history really has to teach us. When an event has only recently taken place, there tends to be a lot of justification. 'Ah yes, you were right to do this and to do that.' Or, 'It was clear there was no other choice.' Only after many years have gone by, does it become possible to see that there may have been other better choices. 
Every so often, we hear news stories about politicians fighting in parliament. Few of us are ever inspired by such tales. The whole point of a democratic process is that it involves carefully listening to all views and delicately negotiating some kind of compromise. When arguments descend to violence, when they polarise, when they effectively turn the protagonists on either side into angry toddlers, something is wrong. Where, in your life now, is a more adult attitude urgently needed? Do your bit to bring this about. Be big.
 I remember a time when nobody ate muesli or yoghurt. These were just viewed as novelty foods for weirdoes. Now, many millions are spent marketing the supply of these popular commodities. Slowly but surely, they caught on. Their popularity grew until it reached a tipping point and they became mainstream products. But not everything with a groundswell of support is automatically desirable or healthy. It may today, be more appropriate for you to deliberately buck a trend than to just blindly join in with it. 
 I have been putting up a strong argument here in this space against the concept of 'predestination'. It is my deepest belief, that nothing is set in stone and we can alter any factor in our lives if we are willing to supply enough commitment and effort. But perhaps you are not convinced. Perhaps you feel the pages of the book containing the story of your existence were written long ago in indelible ink. Who did that then? What gave them the right? How dare anyone, past or present, dictate your future to you?
'I want to be happy but I won't be happy, till I make you happy too.'  It expresses a lovely notion. What could make anyone happier than the knowledge that they were managing to make someone else happy? Unless, of course, in making that other person happy, they were inadvertently also making another individual unhappy or compromising their own integrity. Remember today, there are times when doing the right thing involves a lot more than just doing whatever seems to feel right!