As I thought about what to write today, I will share an article I saw on Forbes that explains it very well as if her words came out of my mouth. Here is the article:
"Success Follows the Incurable Optimist!
The most powerful personality traits to develop in one’s quest for
success are incurable optimism and integrity.
Optimism is defined as “the belief that good things will happen to you
and that negative events are temporary setbacks to be overcome.” (- Mayo Clinic ). Integrity, as I would define it,
is “doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason – despite
any consequence.” When you combine those two qualities what you have is a
person who seeks out the best outcome in every situation, while still being
honest and forthright about the facts of situations as they exist. A person who
exemplifies these two qualities will garner significant trust and respect from
his or her clients, coworkers, managers, and subordinates – all of whom
contribute toward helping that person achieve great success.
There is a distinct
difference between an optimist and a pessimist.
An optimist sees challenges as temporary, able to be overcome, and as
stepping stones that are leading them to a better solution. A pessimist sees
challenges as permanent; they see them as massive stumbling blocks which make
it impossible to move forward, thus signifying the end of that road. Finally
there is the incurable optimist, which is that optimist that relentlessly
pushes forward, time and time again, never letting trials keep them from
believing in the good that lies up ahead. These are the best optimists of all.
A good example of an incurable optimist can be seen in a personal
story that occurred recently: I have a teenage daughter who passionately loves
basketball. She worked incredibly hard to make the varsity team of her high
school junior year, only to tear her ACL in the second game of the season. It
was devastating news, but she was determined to have the surgery and be
vigilant with her physical therapy so she could be back on the court in time
for her senior year to begin. She saw her injury as a temporary hurdle that
hard work would help her to overcome. And it did. That is until a few days ago,
when she stepped onto a basketball court for the first time seven months after
surgery only to have her ACL re-tear on her first attempt drive to the basket.
She immediately knew that her dreams of returning to basketball had come to an
end as she will once again have to go in for surgery this week for a second ACL repair, just two weeks
before her senior year begins. Once again, devastating news to accept, yet
within hours of her injury she began talking about the fact that there must be
other talents she is supposed to discover within herself that go beyond
basketball. That exemplifies incurable optimism at its finest. She
recognized the gravity of her injury, yet she saw it as a temporary challenge
that would lead her to discover additional talents and opportunities ahead.
Without question, optimistic people are a lot more fun to be around.
They are genuinely happier, healthier, more attractive people. The have an energetic
sparkle that draws everyone to want to be around them. I call this the “Tigger
factor.” If you think back to your childhood days of Winnie the Pooh and
his friends Tigger and Eeyore – ask yourself who you would rather spend time
around – Tigger or Eeyore? Clearly the answer is Tigger! After all, Tigger’s
are wonderful things, plus they bounce and bounce and bounce and bounce…OK, you
get the jist. Seriously, Tigger is cheerful and happy and fun. He is a
party unto himself. Whereas Eeyore is depressed, grouchy, and just plain whiny,
and there is nothing enjoyable in being around a whiny person. We are drawn to
those people who display the Tigger factor because optimistic people make
everything happier.
That
optimism is of tremendous value for one seeking funding for their business. As
an investor, I pay very close attention to the level of optimism of the
entrepreneurs seeking an investment. First, I will have to spend time around
that person if I invest in their company, and again, no one likes spending time
around an Eeyore. Second, I need to believe that the entrepreneur I am
investing in will be the type of person that can see a positive outcome for any
difficulty they face. Without question there will be numerous trials ahead in
their business, and I need that entrepreneur to use those trials as stepping
stones to bigger and better outcomes, rather than letting them become
roadblocks to their success.
It
is important to point out that there is a huge difference between optimism and
over-confidence. When someone is over-confident they tend to ignore the
barriers all together, having an attitude of “that couldn’t happen to me.”
Whereas when someone is optimistic they have an attitude of “It may happen to
me, but if it does I will find a way to get through it, and I will make it even
better in the end.” The attitude of the first person brings fear to the
heart of an investor or an employer, while the attitude of the second gives a
feeling of trust and comfort.
The
ideal find for either an employer or an investor is coming across that unique
person who has both an incurable optimism and the integrity to share all the
facts of things as they exist. They present the best picture without
over-embellishing, and they express a positive outlook without over-promising.
They can be trusted, relied upon, and to top it off, they are pleasant and fun
to be around. With all of that it is no wonder success is sure to follow them.
There
may only be one Tigger in this world, but there is plenty of room for
many more incurable optimists to join the ranks of fun, fun fun!" by Amy Andersen
My mother is a good example of someone who achieves great success by being an optimist and for that I am so thankful.
Con amor,
Vero
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