Do you consider yourself an optimist? Do you typically see the glass as half full or half empty? Sometimes it’s challenging to look at things in a positive light, expecting that things will or might turn out positive.
Have you ever heard the saying that “hope is not a strategy”? You can not”hope” that things will end well….you can not “hope” to be an optimist. You have to see the positive, you have to choose to be positive, and you need to believe that things will end positively.
You must be cautious as some may be considered “Polly-Anna’s”, meaning they are naive or short-sighted regardless of all the facts presented to them and that things will turn out fine. Even when it’s obvious that things will not turn out fine, “Polly-Anna’s” are not necessarily being positive, they just do not know any better and do not have the ability to see the situation for what it is.
So should we strive to see the “glass as half full”? Which means approaching problems or challenges with an optimistic understanding that they will turn out well. And if we strive to be optimistic where do we start, how do we do it? Is optimism something that we can develop, like lifting weights in the gym? I believe we can. I believe that we can flex our optimism muscle with frequent practice and gradual changes to impact long term behaviors.
When faced with challenges, decisions, new ideas, or innovations and considering all possible outcomes is there a way to lean-in to the most positive outcome? I believe we can. I believe we need to imagine the positive, see it before it happens, and do everything imaginable to create a positive outcome. And that is when the work begins. Do your homework collecting facts and considering all possible outcomes and then map out your plan to achieve optimal success. When given lemons, make lemonades!