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My meditation app told me something the other day that I want to share: "The bright side is a spectrum."
"Look on the bright side" has become a short-hand for "just remember how good you have it compared to others, ignore your pain and move on". It is the motto of toxic positivity, which is a shame because looking on the bright side is still a useful tool. If you acknowledge that the bright side is a spectrum.
Sometimes it can be that everything is going your way and you feel wonderful about yourself. Sometimes it's just that you got out of bed today. Depending on the shade of darkness surrounding those moments, both can be the bright side. Both can hold equal weight against the dark.
So when you look for a bright side and can only find a small candle, you aren't being a pessimist. You've found one end of the spectrum, one that means as much as the beacon.