Optimism, Pessimism, and Just Plain Realism

As someone who has struggled with personal issues since the age of 10, I have heard a lot of responses from people. As they hear me talk about some of my feelings, particularly feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, and the feeling that I'm just lost on this path we call life, I hear the same responses: 'Cheer up', 'Look on the bright side', 'Look at the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty'. I can only think of this: 'Why?'. After hearing from people that I'm a bitter pessimist, I can't help but think, I'm not being pessimistic, I'm just being realistic. And, its true. Optimists are just people who are overly naïve and have illusions that everything in life will turn out better. Pessimists are people who believe nothing will be right again, almost like nihilists. While realists are people who realize that life is a roller-coaster that sometimes has more down's than up's. That is just what I am: a realist. I realize that in my life, there could just be more down's than up's. Why try to change that? There is nothing any of us can do about it, so why not just accept it? As a realist, I just accept that my life might not turn out like in the movies where everyone has a fairytale ending and happily ever after's. Which sounds like the better option: living with false hopes for a happily ever after, or living with acceptance of the fact that happily ever after doesn't often happen.