Chuck Terry
Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer
Carew International, Inc.
Everyone with a pulse has heard the analogy about the glass being half empty or half full. The point of the analogy is a good one, because it is about positive focus versus negative focus. Technically, of course, both are true; the glass is simultaneously half full and half empty. People seem naturally inclined to see it one way or the other. In today’s business climate, many of us may struggle to see the opportunity that resides in the half full glass on a consistent basis.
There is another axiom that coincides with the glass analogy -- the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy, which states that you get what you think about and focus on in terms of positive or negative results. In short, positive thoughts yield positive results and negative thoughts will eventually manifest negative results. I have found that both concepts hold true more often than not. If you have doubts, one way to prove it to yourself is to get behind the wheel of a race car. One of the absolute rules of racing is to focus on where you want the car to go and not the wall. Take it from me, if you focus on the wall, you WILL hit the wall!
As a friend of mine often says, “So what? Now what?” I believe the “so what” is that the current economic downturn in our country has presented us with the classic case of determining if the glass is half empty or half full. If you are among the 10% of America that is unemployed, it may look half empty. If you’re among the 90% that is still employed, it is easier to see it half full. If you are considering investing in the stock market, you could make the case (and many are!) that this is the worst time you could possibly have your money in the market. You could just as easily see the half full perspective and determine that this is EXACTLY the time to move money into the market because every dollar buys more than it did just twelve months ago. Is this the worst time to invest in your business or the best time? Is this the best time to start a new company or the worst time? I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
The “now what” is to focus on and work toward the future we desire for ourselves, our families, our business and even our country. The economy will actually BECOME what we collectively choose to focus on. If enough of us see opportunity in the stock market, guess what will happen to our investment? The self fulfilling prophecy will be that the large number of people in “buy” mode will send the market skyward and we will all look pretty smart. The same momentum is possible within individual businesses and industries.
Of course, good things in life are the result of more than just positive thinking. Bringing to fruition the glass being half full requires a leap of faith, a little luck, wise investment, and a lot of hard work. All things being equal, better to have the power of positive energy propelling you forward -- it’s much more productive than the alternative!
Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer
Carew International, Inc.
Everyone with a pulse has heard the analogy about the glass being half empty or half full. The point of the analogy is a good one, because it is about positive focus versus negative focus. Technically, of course, both are true; the glass is simultaneously half full and half empty. People seem naturally inclined to see it one way or the other. In today’s business climate, many of us may struggle to see the opportunity that resides in the half full glass on a consistent basis.
There is another axiom that coincides with the glass analogy -- the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy, which states that you get what you think about and focus on in terms of positive or negative results. In short, positive thoughts yield positive results and negative thoughts will eventually manifest negative results. I have found that both concepts hold true more often than not. If you have doubts, one way to prove it to yourself is to get behind the wheel of a race car. One of the absolute rules of racing is to focus on where you want the car to go and not the wall. Take it from me, if you focus on the wall, you WILL hit the wall!
As a friend of mine often says, “So what? Now what?” I believe the “so what” is that the current economic downturn in our country has presented us with the classic case of determining if the glass is half empty or half full. If you are among the 10% of America that is unemployed, it may look half empty. If you’re among the 90% that is still employed, it is easier to see it half full. If you are considering investing in the stock market, you could make the case (and many are!) that this is the worst time you could possibly have your money in the market. You could just as easily see the half full perspective and determine that this is EXACTLY the time to move money into the market because every dollar buys more than it did just twelve months ago. Is this the worst time to invest in your business or the best time? Is this the best time to start a new company or the worst time? I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
The “now what” is to focus on and work toward the future we desire for ourselves, our families, our business and even our country. The economy will actually BECOME what we collectively choose to focus on. If enough of us see opportunity in the stock market, guess what will happen to our investment? The self fulfilling prophecy will be that the large number of people in “buy” mode will send the market skyward and we will all look pretty smart. The same momentum is possible within individual businesses and industries.
Of course, good things in life are the result of more than just positive thinking. Bringing to fruition the glass being half full requires a leap of faith, a little luck, wise investment, and a lot of hard work. All things being equal, better to have the power of positive energy propelling you forward -- it’s much more productive than the alternative!
1 comment:
Nice post - it's all about being positive.
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