Enjoy Your Career and Life? Change Your Point of View...

"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars."- Frederick Langbridge,  A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts

Let’s say that you placed second in a writing contest. How would you respond? Would you jump for joy and get excited about the possibility of even better results the next time? Or, would you be discouraged and contemplate excuses to not participate in the future? 

Life is filled with choices. Every day, we have a variety of opportunities in which to choose our reaction and the resulting thoughts around the conditions and circumstances of being human. Unfortunately, habitual pessimism puts us at risk of living a self-defeating life. By consciously choosing optimism, we open doors for a more rewarding and fulfilling life.

So why shift your perspective?

Well, optimism has been linked to positive moods and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma. Not a bad return on investment for developing our “Glass half full” muscle, right?

On the other end of the spectrum, the rates of depression and pessimism continue to climb, affecting people of all ages. The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe that difficult events are their own fault and will undermine their happiness for a long time to come.

Optimists Tend to Expect the Best

As you might suspect, we happen to be eternal optimists. Trust us, we have both been confronted with some hard knocks. What differs is the way we (optimists) perceive difficulties. We decide that the circumstance is a temporary setback. We even believe that these “contrasts” in our otherwise joy-filled experience will somehow serve us through learning and growth. This is also referred to as positive re-framing.

It would be a rare occurrence to hear an optimist proclaim, “Things will never get better,” or “I’ll never get it right”. Instead, when the going gets tough, optimists actually get tougher. They persevere. They just don’t give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step closer to that goal or what some might perceive as an elusive dream.

People respond positively to optimists:

Optimists tend to be proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.

Our world, so divided in these times, could benefit from a healthy dose of optimism. Our experience is teaching us that this an especially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are often not well received. 

What would happen if we started a movement focused on What Is OH SO RIGHT with people, teams, organizations, towns, counties, cities and so on? Want to join these 2 cock-eyed optimists and an amazing tribe in focusing on possibilities?

Celebrating Your Unique Genius,

Lori and Shari

To discover your Top 5 Strengths click HERE.

PS: If you do want to learn from these two optimists, join us on July 20! As a member of the StrengthsGenius.coach community, you receive access to a monthly community webinar- simple registration here- Make Successful Decisions with Ease and Confidence.

This is for you if you 1) ever have "buyer's remorse" after you have made a decision, 2) feel guilty after you have made a decision or 3) just need validation for the process of how you make your decisions. Simple Registration HERE Make Successful Decisions With Ease and Confidence

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