For many years I was an unshakeable optimist. The glass was half full and getting fuller. Problems were seen in light of possible solutions and I believed everything happened for a purpose. I still like to think in possibilities and like to look for resolution to the challenges I face. In an article I came across a while back it described a strategy called strategic pessimism. It allows for us optimists to think about worst case scenarios, get a grip on the possibility that things could go south, and then muster up the strength, determination, and strategy to deal with it.
Why is it good for me to allow myself just a bit of pessimism? Well, not every problem has a visible silver lining. Maybe solutions are very long term and there won't be much of a light at the end of the tunnel. Or maybe, just maybe, the situation really stinks and I just need to wallow a bit. Every now and then a good pity party is in order - but it needs to be quick, done with gusto, and then put behind me.
Whether I'm focusing on the positive, or dipping into the negative, what I believe is that no one escapes sadness, upheaval and a bit of drama. But that's okay - it's simply part of the human drama. Those challenges makes us stronger when we strategize our way through them and when we break the biggest challenges into smaller manageable tasks, we can get through the day, then look forward to a better day tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment