Exercising Your Optimistic Muscle

Friday evening, 20/20 presented Robin Roberts courageous journey to beat MDS and return as anchor of Good Morning America. We watched as Robin gave us an inside look at her struggles through chemo, a bone marrow transplant and losing her mother. At one point during her conversation with Dianne Sawyer she mentions that she is an optimistic person and the more you exercise that optimistic muscle, the stronger it gets. I am naturally optimistic and it has served me well in life and business. However, many people I meet tend to look at what can go wrong or when the other shoe will drop. Lesa and I recently returned from speaking on the Wisdom Meets Passion Cruise with Dan and Joanne Miller, Rory and Amanda Vaden and a group of amazing people. It just so happens that we were at sea the same time the Carnival Triumph was crippled waiting on tugboats to bring it back to dry land. There were concerns from friends that we were on that cruise ship and we were not. We did have a couple of people tell us that we should stay off cruise ships because you never know what will happen. These same people are constantly telling me to play it safe. I respond to these people saying, "Maybe we should never do anything but sit at home and play it safe. Never go anywhere, never try anything new and never take a chance." What kind of life is that? The people that give me this advice have the fruit of this mentality reflected in the way they live. It is usually accompanied by a negative, woe is me attitude. One of these people followed up their concerns with an "I will never be able to afford a cruise anyway" comment. I chose to take the chance and I was rewarded with time with great friends, making new friends, and sitting with Lesa on Magen's Bay in St. Thomas. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~ Helen Keller Here are some ways you can exercise your Optimism: 1. Smile. Put on a happy face and you might be surprised when you get one back. A smile will also trigger positive thoughts in your brain. 2. Talk like an optimist. If you speak in a positive way, you will become more optimistic. Speak the results you want. 3. Count your blessings. There is always someone worse off that you. Be grateful for what you have. 4. Protect your mind. Don't allow yourself to be influenced by depressing or negative thoughts. I quit watching the news years ago. I control what goes into my mind. Listen to your favorite music or something funny. You can choose the way you think. Put on a smile and have a great week! Pierce