“Optimism is a matter of mental habit. You can learn to practice the habit of optimism and thereby greatly enhance your chances of achieving success. Or you can drive yourself into the pit of pessimism and failure.” - Napoleon Hill
How would you rate your level of optimism? When asked, “Would you consider yourself an optimistic or pessimistic person?” most people would answer, “Optimistic, of course!” Are you really? A great many attitudes, behaviors, and actions you witness in the world around you are often more negative than positive, pessimistic rather than optimistic.
I was driving back to the office today from an appointment when a black blazer turned left through and into oncoming traffic and missed hitting me by inches. Thankfully I caught him in my peripheral vision and was able to defensively swerve in order to get out of his way. We both proceeded safely. My first reaction was not to have the “inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events, or to anticipate the best possible outcome” as Webster defines optimism. My first reaction was of anger and annoyance.
As I proceeded to my destination I was pondering my reaction and thought to myself, what if he truly did not see me? There was a passenger in the blazer and they were talking, so there is the possibility that he just did not see me. His responsible driving skills are a subject for another discussion; however, I really don’t believe people get in their car and drive through life with the intention of having an accident. Accidents are just too inconvenient for all involved. So I decided to focus on the fact that maybe he didn’t see me, nothing happened, and all is good—take a positive approach.
But you know as well as I, so many people can have an incident like an “almost car accident” affect their attitude and their optimistic view toward the world and others. It is so easy to focus on the negative, the bad, or the wrong that it becomes all consuming.
I was early to a staff meeting the other day and there was general chitchat going on before the meeting started. One woman started talking about the weather and since it is November in Pennsylvania snow can be part of the forecast. The weather folks were calling for the possibility of snow showers in the areas of higher elevation that evening. The woman sitting next to her voiced her immediate reaction, “I hate snow! I hate everything about snow!” The intensity with which she made those comments confirmed without a doubt her hate for snow.
Pessimism is a state of mind, which negatively colors the perception of life. We spend so much time being pessimistic about things that we cannot control, that we literally give away our ability to be optimistic about what we can control. Having an optimistic attitude and view on life is a choice, and sometimes based on the world around us it can literally be a minute-by-minute choice. We are bombarded with so much negativity that it is easy to slip into the status quo of negativity. I challenge you to not accept the status quo, take control, and choose to be optimistic. You will see measurable results personally and professionally when you make the shift!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
