Be optimistic.

Be Optimistic: Choosing the Road That Still Leads Forward

There’s a song by Sounds of Blackness called “Be Optimistic.”

It’s one I’ve held onto for a long time. The lyrics say, “You can win, as long as you keep your head to the sky.”

It’s a simple phrase—but for me, it’s been a lifeline.

I grew up in a world where optimism didn’t come easy.

My mother was taken from me. I spent time in foster care where abuse and neglect left scars that still ache in quiet moments. I was surrounded by drunk drug dealers, by people trying to escape their own pain the only way they knew how. And in the middle of that chaos, I learned early that if I didn’t hold on to something—faith, hope, purpose—I’d lose myself, too.

Over time, life has tested me again and again. I’ve worn the uniform, raised a family, built a career, and still found myself wondering: Is it worth it to keep believing good things are possible?

And every time I reach that question, I hear those words again—keep your head to the sky.

Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by.”

For me, that road has been optimism. Not blind optimism, but the kind that chooses light even after seeing darkness up close. The kind that refuses to let pain have the final word.

Every day, I still stand at that crossroads. Between giving up and going on. Between anger and peace. Between despair and faith.

And even when the road is rough, I try to keep walking toward something better—because I’ve seen what happens when people stop believing there’s a better way.

Maybe that’s what “Be Optimistic” really means. It’s not about pretending life is perfect. It’s about remembering that your story isn’t over. That no matter what you’ve been through, your next step—your next choice—still matters.

So if you’re reading this and life feels too heavy to lift your head, I get it.

But I promise—there’s still light ahead. You just have to take that first step toward it, even if you can’t see where it leads yet.

Keep your head to the sky. Keep walking your road. And don’t let anyone convince you that hope is naïve. It’s survival.