Random Mail on Optimism or Pessimism...

I had to hear this message for myself today...

"Optimist or Pessimist: Your Choice

"Whether you know of him or not, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the research into optimism and pessimism made by Dr. Martin Seligman, from the University of Pennsylvania. A past president of the American Psychological Association, Marty is the author of numerous books on the subjects of optimism and pessimism and how they affect the way we look at our world.

How do you find out if you are an optimist or pessimist? Ask yourself the question: How do I think when bad things happen to me? A pessimist lets the bad thing contaminate everything in their life: home, work, relationships. We call it "globalizing."

An optimist, on the other hand, isolates the bad. "It's just this one piece that's not so good, everything else is OK.

"The other thing a pessimist does is "eternalize" the bad thing. "It's awful now, and it's going to be this way forever. Nothing is ever going to go right again."

An optimist puts a time-frame on it. "Yes, it's going to be painful for a while, but I'll get through it. Things will change for the better."

Pessimists have a tendency to take accountability for the entire mess they are in, whether it was all their fault or not, while optimists take accountability for what they caused, and realize that there were other factors involved.

Now, how do you think when good things happen? A pessimist calls it a one-time thing, believes it won't last, and minimizes their part in the success. The optimist? An optimist lets the good things color everything they do, believes that it will last forever, and takes credit for their part in the success - "I caused it."

I think you are starting to see a pattern. The pessimist has an external locus of control, and pretty much views the world as a victim. The pessimist mindset is one of, "It's all about me."

The optimist, on the other hand, has an internal locus of control, takes control of the situation at hand, and sets about making better things happen.

Optimist or Pessimist? Again, it's all about that internal picture you hold in your mind.

by Lou Tice The Pacific Institute www.thepacificinstitute.com