Glass-half-full-ism

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Glass-half-full-ism!

Hope you had a good first week of the seasonal transition, from post-summer to pre-fall. It's always a mixed feeling, isn't it? There is both sadness and a sense of appreciation when fall is approaching fast. I find beauty in the gradual shifting of seasons, which signals that change is both possible, evident, and often very beautiful. But also, like all change, it is laced with a bit of mourning for what we leave behind; another summer has gone by and, for many of us, we head into colder and darker times. At least, when it comes to the weather.

I truly cherish the posture of those people who find hope in the midst of despair and who find reasons to believe in a sea of disbelief. 

Optimism doesn't quite do it for me, but that is I guess what we call it. I like glass-half-full-ism better. Yes, it's a mouthful—but you get the spirit of it, I am sure. It depicts the reality so clearly. A glass half full is also a glass half empty. And it is up to the beholder how you choose to look at it. Most of all, it is an active choice. A choice we have the freedom to make. And we can't argue with the factual reality. A glass half full is also a glass half empty—how you interpret what you have is up to you. 

And I guess that is what I love about the glass-half-full image the most. Too often when we have a certain attitude, we conveniently forget who is having the attitude. There’s a shift of an essential responsibility. Our emotions play so many games with us, that we quickly become convinced someone else "gave" us the attitude.

As you probably know from these weekly musings, I am rather preoccupied with our attitudes. This is why I called this newsletter series "In Pursuit of Elevation". Elevation, because altitude shapes attitude. We are helped by seeing things from a different angle, a different perspective. Also, from afar, not all things are as scary and messy. Distance is helpful in controlling and curbing our emotions. Time heals all wounds, they say. Some wounds might never heal fully, but with the benefit of time, the pain associated with them at least subsides and can most often be managed better. 

I also like the notion of a pursuit. It's a choice we make. We are trying to help ourselves see things differently, look at a new angle, and try to find a way that leads us to a better place. It places the onus on us—not someone else. Our ultimate freedom is that we can choose how we react to whatever is facing us. As hard and difficult as that often is, it still remains true. And finally, pursuit also hints at the asymptotic nature of any long-term aspiration. We are never “done” in our quest to better understand what we can do to live a better life.  

Sadly, we are surrounded by a barrage of negativity. Almost every story we are fed is a glass-half-empty story. Almost everything is a problem. And not just a problem, a massive one. Most issues we face are positioned as fatalistic, world-ending problems that often lack the proper context or relative importance. It's, of course, understandable as we live in a world where the currency is attention, and the only game is getting clicks and likes and shares. And the way to get that is by sounding the alarm louder than anything else you read. 

I try hard to look at everything with a glass-half-full attitude. Heck, I can even find optimism in an empty glass. It means more opportunities for filling it up with something I want to have next. Or, enjoying and remembering what that empty glass provided me for a long time. Perhaps, in doing so, I can make it last forever. Either one works for me. 

My approach is grounded in a deep conviction that you simply can't build or do anything with a negative posture. I was first taught that in sports, but it is equally true in parenting, being a supportive friend, building a business, or particularly when faced with a really significant challenge. 

I find it interesting to consider our role as parents. Most of us don't give up on our kids. Ever. They are forever manifestations of a half-full-glass mentality. Aren't they? We want the best for them, and we are willing to do almost anything to make that happen. Why wouldn't we have the same attitude for almost everything else when the future of our world depends on it — the same way the future of our kids depends on how they were treated growing up? 

Glass-half-fullism also isn't the same as just "think positive". That is often too shallow to be compelling to me or to the people am trying to inspire. A glass-half-full-ism is more complete, as it recognizes the reality of a half-full glass. It encourages imagination in the face of adversity. It's not trying to ignore or reduce the facts at hand, however brutal they may be. It's a commitment to being radically transparent while facing the challenges present with an equal commitment to valuing the resources, strengths, and abilities you have to work it out. As they say: "Winners have a plan, loser have an excuse". 

I am not going to double down on the point here. I think you get it. And I suspect most of you who read these newsletters very much have a glass-half-full type of posture in life. So, kudos to you! Hopefully, together, we can share this attitude and create a societal wave that can inspire others to join this more constructive attitude. The great news is that glass-half-full-ism is a contagious stance. What if more and more people actually believed the world is half full vs. half empty? Don't you think we'd be all better off for it? 

Professor Scott Galloway wrote a great post recently around what he called "Least Bad". It's a great summary of why America is a lot better than most people think. It was a great reminder of how much our public discourse has become affected, or rather infected, with a glass-half-empty perspective. If you are concerned about America (I know many share this sentiment, and perhaps even more so among some of my European friends!), please read this post and see if you end up at a place where you realize that, perhaps, the glass is actually fuller than you thought. 

Perspectives are so valuable as they help us balance our many biases. Biases shaped by what happened most recently (recency bias), for example, and perhaps by only reading the information we are looking for (confirmation bias) — just to mention a few! Pursuit of Elevation is my humble attempt to subject ourselves to a broader context, which hopefully helps us stay committed to a half-glass-full-ism philosophy of life.  

You all fill my cup until it runneth over! For that, I am supremely grateful.

Thank you!