The glass isn’t half empty, that’s (mostly) in your mind
What we think we “observe” is highly sourced and filtered from our memories and mindset. Sometimes the simplest and most obvious things require a fresh look because of this. Even glasses of water have distortions, let alone something as complex as the world around us. When we see the world around us we see what we want to. This is the origin of the glass half full or half empty trope. We say people ARE pessimists and optimists as though they won’t change. You can shift your perception by large amounts, this is how it happened for me.
Half Empty
Three years ago I lived in a prison from which I could not escape. The walls were abstract but I saw and felt them every day. The prison was a beautifully landscaped vibrant place with no guard towers or security checkpoints. Like a prison though there are significant life consequences for not staying to “do your time”. This place is the college campus. I have the journal entries detailing a point of view dark enough to rattle even the most ardent optimist. I “saw” no choice in the matter of being forced to stay in this environment for four years. Not to mention the money expended to stay! Financial support from my family gave me an additional shackle, as I was obligated to make their support matter. This viewpoint is unequivocally cynical, this person couldn’t possibly become an optimist right?
50% Water
The next year things leveled out, especially with summer break to look in from a distance. Sure it was possible for education to be better, but look at the numbers. Realistically getting a computer science degree is an excellent economic exchange. It pays itself off financially within only a year or two of work after graduation. Sure the rate of learning was terribly slow compared to what is possible, but it was effective enough. One might as well finish the degree since it is the rational option. It wasn’t terrible, it just was life. Too much of this is subjective, you can only be truly realistic to the extent you can quantify the world around you. Even though the numbers made some sense, they couldn’t by themselves change how the situation felt. Things were as they were, seeming worth of mostly indifference.
Half full
My previous experiences were shaped by seeing only the resources I walked by trudging around campus. The cynicism and frustration I experienced were the fuel I needed for radical change. Reaching out showed a wealth of resources and opportunities right outside that narrow view. Regular yoga and fitness classes were a short walk away from classes. They fueled me with the mental and physical energy to find other opportunities. Counselling gave me ideas to try applying this newfound energy into. Exploring clubs lead me to connect with people who had uplifting mindsets and more interesting ideas to explore.
Two years of these positive feedback loops lead me to look around and see ten times the opportunity I expected to. The Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs program played a critical role, leading me to the most optimistic and interesting group of people I had ever met. Have you ever met someone who sees opportunity where you saw disaster? The people I saw that they most in were entrepreneurs. Through independent study and senior project I expanded and explored my knowledge of technology, allowing me to see the opportunity rather than disaster. Internet addiction wasn’t hopeless, it was a symptom of how powerfully technology can change our lives. Why can’t we ensure this change is even more positive than addictive? The people around me made things even better, each visit to clubs and events bring new friends with enthralling stories and more adventures into all of our lives. A campus that once seemed a prison became a base to rise up on and see a brighter future from.
Entrepreneurs are optimists
Picking apart something is fun, when I see a flaw I want to take it apart. Much like a child gleefully taking apart a Lego set that could be better. What do you do with the pieces though? A critical and analytical mindset provides far more value when you take something apart and build it better.
In the case of entrepreneurs, a friend of mine thought I was crazy when I told him he was an optimist. In the midst of his fight to get his business off the ground he was pointing out all the ways things could be better. He was building virtual reality experiences targeted at consumers when barely any had VR devices. He had the optimism to see how virtual reality will expand and give his users more confidence in the products they buy by interacting with them in VR. His optimism is so deep rooted he doesn’t see it some days, but it is so strong it is part of who he is.
Entrepreneurs are optimists, seeing opportunity where others see failure. They have the optimism that they and their product can deliver value in spite of the odds. Entrepreneurs optimistically see themselves as able to provide so much value that it’s worth paying for. Having the optimism to act on these possibilities makes all the difference. Couldn’t optimism make a positive difference in how you act? It makes all the difference for me and it can for you!