Choose Optimism

Posted by Fiona Harrold | One Comment

“I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.”

This was Winston Churchill talking at a time when he needed to convince this country that we could win the Second World War. At that time Hitler’s army seemed invincible, with entire nations being defeated and occupied.

Your battles may not be as dramatic as defeating an invading army, but a fierce optimism is essential if you are to push through and win in your own life.

Military experts all agree that the morale of an army is vital to the outcome of a war. Once troops lose faith in their ability to win, their will weakens and success is unlikely.

Optimism – or your lack of it, shapes your entire life. If you lack hope and faith, your actions will reflect this lacklustre attitude. Others will not buy into your dreams and plans because they are not convinced that you will succeed, taking their cue from you. Heartfelt optimism, on the other hand, is magnetic: the stronger you feel it, the more powerful its pull.

You’ll find it easier to attract the right people and opportunities to you. Life will be easier. The trick is to build deep down optimism that exudes a genuine conviction to those around you. The challenge is to believe in the inevitability of your own success.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to mix with the right people! I saw this first-hand when my first book, Be Your Own Life Coach, was published nearly seven years ago. I was inundated with letters and emails from people all saying how motivated and optimistic they felt after reading it, but questioning how they could sustain their optimism.

They pointed to the lack of upbeat people around them and the undermining effect this had on their ability to push through to achieve their goals.

The sad truth is:

1. not everyone wants you to succeed:
2. not everyone knows how to motivate you.

And, as life is one great big self-fulfilling prophesy, keeping optimistic makes a lot of sense. As Winston said, “it does not seem too much use being anything else.”