Where some see obstacles, we optimists see opportunities
In other words, being optimistic does not make me a naive, unprepared doofus
Hello friends,
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and it's right around the corner. For me, Thanksgiving is all about spending time with loved ones. And bonus, there are no gifts involved :)
Plus, this particular holiday gives me the chance to make my famous, once-a-year specialty meal: Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza. (This definitely falls into the "don't knock it 'till you've tried it" category.)
Ripples published our first children's book
I am beyond excited to share that we (the team at Ripples Media, who would love to publish your book, btw) published our first children's book! It's called The Colors of Me, and it was written by my good friend, Ekaette Kern. Please consider adding this to your holiday shopping list :)
PS - if you missed it, I had Ekaette on my podcast recently to talk about her "name journey."
Being optimistic does not make me a naive, unprepared doofus
I'm nothing if not optimistic. However, people who are... let's just say, less optimistic… love to tell me that they aren't negative, nor are they pessimists, but rather they prefer to consider themselves "realists." When I ask for more information on what that means, the best explanation I get back is:
I'm realistic about the eventual outcome, and therefore, I'm prepared for it. Unlike you optimists, who sit around all day hoping or expecting things will work out. I'll be ready for the future, and you'll be smacked in the face by it.
What these "realists" are missing is that you can be optimistic and still not be flabbergasted when things don't work out. Being optimistic doesn't mean we expect Plan A to be successful. Rather, we believe that even if Plan A doesn't work out, there are plenty of paths that could work out. I don't want to suggest that we're hoping Plan A will fail, but we believe we'll end up wiser and stronger if it does, as we'll be better prepared for the future. And even if none of the other paths work out and we end up flat on our faces, we believe we'll get back up, dust ourselves off, and be more resilient from the overall experience.
Sara Blakely, one of Atlanta's all-timer entrepreneurs, recently posted this quote by Wayne Dyer:
If you believe it’ll work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you’ll see obstacles.
That's so powerful.
If you are a pessimist (or a closet pessimist, er, "realist"), you often expect things not to work out. And if you're mentally preparing yourself for things to go poorly, then you'll be looking at all the obstacles that pop up. Us optimists are more likely to see those obstacles as opportunities, and thus, we're more likely to find a successful outcome.
I can be as cynical as the next person. For example (and apologies for this rant, I just need to get it out 😬):
When my 17-year-old son tells me that all his friends watched every season of Better Call Saul, you should see how much I don't believe that statement. I gave it a solid two seasons and was so bored I finally stopped, even though I put Breaking Bad in my top five all-time shows. But even if I can wrap my head around you, dear reader, liking that show enough to make it all the way through, there is no part of me that believes 17-year-old kids, with their two-second attention spans, are watching episode after episode of Saul fumble around trying to be a good person. No way, no chance.
Ok, that was a bit of a rant. But the point still stands: I'm not someone who just believes everything I hear, nor do I think everything will simply work out. I can be a cynic as much as anyone.
In spite of this, I am still an optimist, which doesn't leave me any less prepared to be successful.
The point
You don't have to walk around high-fiving everyone and believe everything will work out perfectly on the first try to be considered an optimist. I know a few people like that, and I envy them, but for the most part, optimists are simply people who see opportunities where others see obstacles.
Maybe the next time you run up against what appears to be an obstacle, instead of waving your hands in the air and exclaiming, "See, I knew this would happen!", step back and try to see how this is simply a new challenge that you'll overcome on your way to becoming stronger and more prepared for the future.
And as always, I hope you're happy.
Recent podcasts
I used to produce a podcast called Begin the Begin and I co-host a podcast called Who has time to read?!, and I’ve started a new YouTube series called, Planting Seeds. I hope you'll consider subscribing. Here are some of the latest episodes:
What Sarah Blakely is referring to is called priming. Or self-priming. And together with your point, you’re actually a “growthtimist” 💪🏼