During the first 35 years of my life I was more of a pessimist than an optimist. I saw the glass as half empty, not half full. I saw problems instead of opportunities. I've had to learn the power of optimism and the need to see the glass as half full. I had to learn how to discover the silver lining in the dark cloud.
Even now as the second 35 years of my life draws to a close, I still struggle some days to see the glass as half full. Often my first reaction is that something can not be done. I have learned that I need to believe in myself before I can accomplish anything. I need to find hope in a negative world.
Being a pessimist is much easier than being an optimist. In almost any situation, it is easier to find the reasons something can not be done than to find the reasons that it can. It is easier to be a negative person than a positive one.
Pessimists believe that they are the realists and that optimists have their heads in the clouds. The truth is that it is much harder to believe something can be achieved than it is to find fault with an idea. It is much harder to be an optimist. And research shows that optimists usually achieve more than pessimists.
As creative leaders, we need to have faith that what we create has value. We need to believe in our ability to create something that can benefit others. We need to have the faith to keep working when there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
Is your glass half full or half empty?
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."
— Helen Keller
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