Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
- Helen Keller
Helen Keller lived from 1880 to 1968...an incredible 88 years. Although she was blind and deaf from childhood, she played a big part in changing our world for the better. She was a university graduate, teacher, lecturer, author, humanitarian, and political activist. Her life was littered with fabulous accomplishments and her group of friends included such luminaries as Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Charlie Chaplin. She also met every United States President from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B. Johnson. She was an amazing person who lived an incredible life despite her disabilities. Most importantly, even with her handicaps she remained optimistic at all times and worked tirelessly to make the world a better place for others. Who among us can compare the difficulties or accomplishments of our lives with those of Helen Keller?
Are you optimistic? If not...why not? We all need to analyze our current situation and our current frame of mind to determine what direction our innermost thoughts are taking us. It is quite a simple matter to find out if you are optimistic. Ask yourself the following questions: Do I believe in myself? Do I believe that I will be successful in my career? Do I believe that I will reach the goals set by myself and others? Do I believe that every obstacle can be overcome? Do I believe that I am, or can be as good in my chosen career as everyone else I know? Do I believe that with hard work, good things will come to me? If your answer is NO to any of these, you are not very optimistic and you need to adjust your thinking.
Now, ask yourself the following questions: Am I a loser? Am I of lesser value than other people? Have I ever given up on something, only to find out later that someone of equal or lesser skill went ahead on my path and succeeded? Do other people think less of me than of most of my peers? Do I often say to myself or others that I will never learn how to do something or that something cannot possibly be done? Will I be a failure, or at best mediocre, all of my life? If your answer is YES to any of these questions you are extremely pessimistic and you need some serious soul-searching or coaching in order to get back on track. You need to discover the source of your pessimism and then search your psyche for a way to get beyond it.
Pessimism is the enemy of ambition and the killer of dreams. You can only succeed through positive effort and genuine belief in yourself. Optimism will carry you to great heights...but only if you truly believe in yourself and only when you allow success to find you. Never hide from success by putting up a curtain of pessimism around you. Always be open to opportunity and never believe that you cannot succeed. Now is the time to start believing in yourself the way Helen Keller believed in herself. She believed everything was possible and she went about finding ways to prove it. And prove it, she did!
Here is another quote from Helen Keller: “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” So, the next time you are feeling depressed or dejected because of a setback or a failure, rise above the natural reaction to become pessimistic. Do what Helen Keller did; try a new path, start a new project, put a smile on your face and believe in yourself! Optimism and pessimism are solitary pursuits. Only you can make yourself become optimistic...no one else will do it for you. The satisfaction, self esteem, success and happiness you receive from optimism will more than repay the effort you put into finding it.
Life is for living folks!
All the Best
Wayne Kehl
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