A brief conversational piece in which Chad Silverstein and a co-speaker discuss learning optimism from a positive mentor, the risks of pessimistic thinking (including self-fulfilling prophecies), and simple practices to build optimism such as surrounding yourself with positive people and keeping a daily gratitude journal (list three things each day).
Chapters
I was really blessed early on in my career to have a mentor that was the most positive person I've ever met in my life. And my tendency is to tend, not always look at everything so optimistic. I want to try. I think about it a lot, but I play devil's advocate. I always like to see realistically what could happen. And sometimes those consequences of my actions, of decisions don't always look so good. And hard to stay positive, especially if.
You'Re experiencing pain or if you're being.
Stressed out by something that you did.
And you made a mistake for whatever reason it is.
But to be able to have things happen to you that you can't control.
People work on and some people are just so good at it.
And you're blessed if you have people.
Around you that have a positive attitude.
And they can find the silver lining. And my old partner, he was so.
Good at that it did not matter what it was.
His, his just, his natural instinct was just to respond with, not to worry.
And that it's going to be okay.
You know, I don't know if there was just fear that he just didn't even want to think about, you know.
The possible consequences of it not going.
His way and not being a benefit to us. But it worked. It worked.
And a lot of times the things we worried about didn't happen, didn't come true. And so there's something to be said about making sure that you don't talk.
Yourself into a self fulfilling prophecy where.
You kind of make something and attract.
Something in your life that didn't have.
To be there but because of the way you thought. And that had a lot to do with how you felt about something and then you didn't take action because of.
It, that you get the result that.
You'Re not looking for.
So hang around with positive people, have.
People call you out when you're being negative. Take a journal and spend one minute.
At the end of the day and.
Find three things that you are happy about. You know, practicing gratitude is one way.
To build your optimism, to realize that.
You have so many miracles and gifts.
In your life and you don't even usually think about it from getting up.
Out of bed in the morning, which.
Some people can't do, to be able to use the senses that a higher power has given you and to be able to have the freedom to live.
Right now in a country where you.
Get to, you know, have the freedom that you get to do what you want to do. You can change jobs, you can go buy things. You can have things delivered to you within minutes.
Now, it's incredible.
We're so spoiled.
So there's a lot of reasons to be positive, and you just have to.
Remind yourself and work against your tendency to be pessimistic.
