Optimism - Bro

I was reading a blog post and optimism was mentioned. Optimism is the whole glass half full point of view. The question I asked myself was if being optimistic can lead a better attitude, relationships, and more importantly better outcomes (I still don't know the answer).

I would like to think by default I am neutral as to my outlook but in reality I have a propensity to be negative. For me the glass is half full but there is a better than even chance I will get thirsty and a half a glass won't be enough to quench my thirst. A specific example of this is travel for work. I personally enjoy travel for work but I miss my family and it is very hard on my wife and kids. This summer it is possible that I will be quite busy with travel and it got me a bit down. I was not looking forward to the travel or new challenges but instead I was worrying about how my wife would do and if I was hurting my children.

An optimist would be excited for the travel, challenge, and possible financial rewards. A pessimist would dread the challenge, focus on how much it is a challenge for the family, and probably assume his sacrifice would be seen as just what is expected. If I can focus on being positive my family will see me as happy and strong and it will rub off on them to some degree. My boss will notice my good attitude and appreciate my effort. If I focus on being negative I will be more likely to set boundaries when I need to and not try to power through when things start to get rough. I will also be much more likely to listen to my wife when she tells me enough is enough instead of just hoping it is a phase.

Being positive is a good trait to have. It can lead to better outcomes but there is a fine line between being optimistic and naive. I am striving to be more optimistic to counter my natural bias but I will need to be mindful to not be naive.

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