Optimism is a Performance-Enhancing Drug
One Thing Elite Performers Know Better Than Most
“Pessimism leads to weakness while optimism leads to power.” — William James
Optimism is the attitude of champions…the fuel of hope…the enemy of despair…and the creator of a bigger, bolder and far more beautiful future.
Developing and strengthening this dynamic life skill is one of the most effective ways of adding to your personal power and overall results in life.
Optimism is a general disposition to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation.
It is a positive and empowering rational attitude toward your individual and collective possibilities…it is the belief that your future will contain desirable outcomes.
THE ANATOMY OF OPTIMISM
Optimism has four unique personality attributes…
Thoughts — We think that our future will be pleasant.
Imagination — Our fantasies depict favorable conditions.
Energy — We feel optimism and excitement regarding our future.
Actions — We act as if the desired conditions will occur (e.g., we attend classes to prepare for the job promotion that we believe we will attain).
Optimism and pessimism affect your entire worldview…and your approach to living is either empowered or neutered depending on which style of thinking predominates.
The principles of optimism provide the key for unlocking your full potential.
A dynamic optimist will not allow themselves to be stopped, spooked, pushed aside, or bullied.
An optimist will respond to all obstacles, challenges, attacks and setbacks with calmness, determination…and a creative, problem-solving attitude.
Tenacity is essential when you encounter setbacks on the way to any goal…that’s why optimists have trained themselves to learn from their setbacks and turn them into comebacks.
In contrast…pessimists throw in the towel, concoct an excuse, and succumb to depression, negativity and apathy.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”. Winston Churchill
Optimists direct their thoughts and actions toward constructive problem solving and purposeful activity…they do not stagnate in the distractions of pessimism and worry.
We all experience negative events, but the difference between optimists and pessimists is that a pessimist takes less action to prevent bad things from happening…
And when negative events do occur they make them seem worse by thinking persistently, negatively, and helplessly about them.
Optimism forms a core part of emotional life expansion. If we wish to live effectively we will have to root out self-defeating pessimism, replacing it with a rational, active form of optimism.
Optimists believe that a positive approach that is looking on the bright side of life can make all the difference in the world. Optimists brighten spirits and create hope and confidence in the future.
Becoming an effective optimist requires more of us than putting on a forced smile and telling ourselves “everything will work out for the best”.
In saying you are an optimist, you are saying more than that you fully expect life to get better.
Optimists go beyond holding certain beliefs about the future…they also display certain attitudes.
An optimistic attitude allows you to remain optimistic during uncertain times and to transform the negativity of any situation into opportunities for growth, progress, and achievement.
No matter how realistic and rational we are…we have no choice but to focus our attention and attitude.
Optimists choose to focus primarily on thoughts, events, and interpretations that induce joy, encouragement, pleasure, and constructive activity.
Effective optimism requires understanding the part we play in bringing about the results we want.
They understand that wishful thinking cannot substitute for active pursuit of the life they want.
Taking responsibility for our actions and attitudes requires a strong sense of purpose. Without a clear vision of our destination we will find it hard to get anywhere.
This world is full of possibility. We can achieve almost anything we can conceive. Yet we will move forward only by turning goals into practical, rational, responsible thinking.
This kind of thinking will naturally generate productive activity.
Through positive action in their communities, business, and personal life, optimists believe they can create a better tomorrow.
CALL TO ACTION
It is imperative that you cultivate a climate of optimism throughout your life because optimism is a true force multiplier…a powerful competitive weapon that works.
Therefore, raise the roof of your expectations…
- Expect that great things will happen to you today.
- Expect that the doors of opportunity will open.
- Expect that the right people will present themselves.
- Expect that you will make rapid progress throughout the day.
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Gary Ryan Blair is creator of the 100 Day Challenge…a radical approach to goal achievement that shows people how to accelerate their results, achieve 10X size goals and transform every area of their life and career — FAST.
