No one has a life of complete ups or eternal downs. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. We all experience good and bad times. It makes you fasten your seat belts—Life is a roller coaster!
Optimists tend to overlook the lows and focus on the highlights. Pessimists tend to focus on the low times in their life. When I’m on a roller coaster, I focus on getting through it without nausea or injury. That’s the stage of life I’m in these days!
When it gets right down to it, which one are you? Are you an optimist or pessimist? Do you say the glass is half empty, half full, or has life dumped the contents all over you?
Have you ever experienced the ire of someone who just wants to stay in a bad mood? Boy, I have! I’ve tried to tell a few jokes, act silly, and even encourage them to join along. Usually, it goes horribly wrong. In fact, I’ve learned the best way to make a pessimist feel better is to allow them to get you down. They aren’t happy until they make you miserable. Misery loves company, right?
Courage takes a positive mindset. Whoever said, “This is going to go badly. It inspires me to do more!” No, that kind of thinking inspires no one.
We get inspired by the story of the person who marches on against all odds. Is it because they’re the smartest or most talented? No, it’s because that person can envision a better outcome than everyone else. The odds may not be in their favor, but they move ahead with courage and faith.
Mindset matters! If you are certain the project will go badly, what’s the point? If you know there will be obstacles, but believe they can be overcome and there will be a payout, you are much more likely to do what is required to make that project a success.
Are you negative about something that must be done? Change your mindset! Look for ways that could make the project successful. Find a way through the obstacles. Look at the obstacles as challenges that can be overcome. You may be surprised to find the answer was there all along but a pessimistic mindset blinded you… until now!
Have you ever noticed that when someone is in a bad mood, they’re rarely interested in a dose of optimism?
My family was getting ready for a spring break trip. For whatever reason, my wife was having a bad day. It’s entirely possible I wasn’t doing my share of the preparation. It could be that the kids were tired and grumpy. For whatever reason, she seemed to be down and I decided it was my duty to cheer her up.
The last one was a big mistake. Even though we were married, I voided her personal space. There’s only so much my poor wife could take. I went from being a purveyor of good, clean fun to just being obnoxious and annoying. She snapped. I realized my mistake and began to pout.
Minutes later, I noticed something. She was in a much better mood and I was the one in the dumps. My efforts worked, just not in the way I expected. She poured the glass of optimism all over me and she felt much better.
So how do you stay optimistic in a world that isn’t having any of it? I learned three lessons that day.
We ended up having a great trip. I learned a valuable lesson about relationships. And yes, we both have learned a lot about optimism over the years.
The concept of haunted houses and trails of terror mystifies me. What is it about humans that we want to seek out danger and fear while avoiding it at the same time? In other words, why is marketing doom and gloom so successful?
The boy in my cartoon assumes the marketing isn’t working for him. He has no interest in something suggesting a bad ending. Yet, experience suggests it’s exactly that kind of marketing that makes the most impact.
Personally, I like good news stories. I want something uplifting that challenges the belief that the world is going to pot. The other kind of marketing may get a lot of attention. But thoughtful media and marketing that inspires and motivates us to be better, now that is a challenge that is well worth rising up to!
So my advice is to cast our anxieties aside and to stay away from marketing doom and gloom!
