“Nothing is either good or bad. It’s thinking that makes it so.”~Benjamin Franklin
Have you ever noticed how two people can experience the same thing, and view it completely differently? You may walk out of a meeting and turn to your colleague with frustration and share, “That was the biggest waste of time I’ve ever experienced.” Your colleague looks at you with surprise and says, “Really? I thought we really got somewhere today!”
There are seemingly always at least two ways to view things – and our life experience is a composite of the outlook we’ve chosen on the events of our lives. Many, many things that have happened in my life and work I’ve first seen as negative – the client that didn’t say yes; the argument I’ve had with a colleague, friend, or spouse; the traffic on the highway or the fender-bender I had on the way to work. However, I must admit that many times these negative happenings have turned around into something positive – the client that didn’t say yes left me room for the even better project and client; the argument helped me get to a point where I could make some necessary change in my life; the traffic, well… maybe the traffic is just another chance for me to listen to music or books on tape and have time to myself.
If I have the power within my mind to view the things that happen in my life as either positive or negative, then I have the power to affect my life for the better. It may be that the meeting I attended was a waste of time, but if I can find the good in it, I can find a way to make it worth my effort and time to be there. And a way to use that experience to make my life more of what I want. It’s a powerful thought – that I can view the world and my life as either “half-empty” or “half-full.” It’s in my best interest to view it in the way that will serve me best and bring me the most joy and satisfaction.
Catch yourself when you’re caught in how bad something is and look for the good in it. See if you can share it with a friend, or even better, thank the person who brought you the “bad” and point out the “good” to them.
What is happening in your life that you could view in a different way? How would viewing the good in an experience help you move ahead?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
If you want help finding the good, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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