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Catch the Disease of Optimism By Rod Hall Why are some people overwhelmed by their problems, while others are simply challenged by them? Why do some draw back, give up and quit when facing obstacles, trials and difficulties while others with similar backgrounds, facing the same troubles, bounce back and keep working toward success? It all boils down to your frame of mind. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
esearch by a psychologist at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh indicates that optimists handle stress better than pessimists do. They found that optimists tend to respond to disappointments by formulating a plan of action and asking other people for help and advice, while pessimists often react to such difficulties by trying to forget the whole thing and assume there is nothing they can do to change their circumstances. Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist? The most successful among us are usually optimists. Successful people often credit a positive attitude as a major reason for their success. As Winston Churchill put it, "I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else." Get infected
Best-selling author and therapist Alan Loy McGinnis, in his book The Power of Optimism, gives 12 characteristics of optimists:
How about you, do these character traits fit your approach to life? All of us can become more positive and optimistic by learning to develop these traits. McGinnis says:
McGinnis points out that anyone can learn to be more optimistic by developing the habits of thought that optimists employ. He explains that this is not being "Pollyanna, hear-no-evil-see-no-evil types either... There is a soft-headed type of thinking that masquerades as optimism, but it is quite different from the practical approach that brings success" (ibid., pp. 6-7). Tough-minded optimist McGinnis calls truly optimistic people "tough-minded optimists." A good example was Winston Churchill. In February 1901, young Winston, slim and elegant at 26, rose to make his inaugural speech in the House of Commons. This was to be his stage for the next 50 years, and on it he was to receive almost constant criticism and suffer many humiliating defeats. In those early years he was probably the most hated man in the House of Commons. The Blenheim Rat, his foes called him.
He closed with this unrelenting optimistic vision: "You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival" (The Last Lion, William Manchester, p. 678). Churchill infected an entire nation with his optimistic, can-do attitude and led them to victory in the face of unbelievable odds. Optimism quotient How optimistic or pessimistic are you? Lowell Peacock summarized the importance of being optimistic. "Attitude is the first quality that marks the successful man. If he has a positive attitude and is a positive thinker, who likes challenges and difficult situations, then he has half his success achieved. On the other hand, if he is a negative thinker who is narrow-minded and refuses to accept new ideas and has a defeatist attitude, he hasn't got a chance."
Pessimistic people bring you down; optimistic people lift you up. President Lincoln once said, "The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity and the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." If someone asks you how are you doing and you actually tell them things are terrible, people are not going to want to be around you. Optimistic people are almost never "poor me," self-pitying people. Seek God's help God holds us personally responsible to do the best we can with what we have to work with in the way of circumstances, natural abilities and opportunities (Ephesians 6:8; Revelation 20:15). If we become overly pessimistic and defeatist in our attitude, we can derail our success. When we know there is a higher purpose for our lives, we can remain more optimistic and positive. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). God wants us to put on a new attitude filled with faith, hope and positive actions (Ephesians 4:22-24). The apostle Paul admonishes us to remain positive and optimistic in our focus (Philippians 4:8). Jesus Christ set the perfect example, which we should emulate (Philippians 2:5). He was never arrogant, egocentric or intellectually vain and often taught His disciples to avoid these mental traps (Matthew 20:26-27; 23:6-8,10-12). He was not pessimistic or defeatist even when facing severe trials (Mark 14:36-42). Catch the disease of optimism and never let it go. Copyright 2006 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Keywords: optimism pessimism Churchill positive attitude attitude
Churchill, Winston: