✏️ Rational Optimism
Life is complicated. There are no two ways around it. At any moment we can be struck with the loss of a family member, a debilitating health condition, or loss of work. Our car can be broken into, our belongings stolen, our savings lost. The sheer amount of possible negative outcomes at any given moment can be overwhelming when we get stuck in a pattern of rumination. Rational optimism is the acceptance of the outside world as it is but through the lens of optimism. Yes, my car was broken into today, but it’s only a car and I’ve been meaning to get a new one for some time. Yes, I’ve sprained my ankle and can’t go on my daily runs, but instead, I can focus on the gym and try to put on some muscle while I recover.
Most situations can be positively spun. Drowning in a sea of sorrow and pity will never solve our problems. Accept the situation for what it is, but never let it get you down. Use it to propel you into action, to fuel growth and progress.
📸 Photo of the Week
Super Jack. Welcome to City.
📖 Book of the Week — How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This classic book is a well of useful information on how to connect with others in a constructive and positive fashion. All humans have their biases, which lead to us being quick to see wrong in others whilst we excuse our own behaviour on grounds of ‘good intentions’. Through this book, I have come to realize that criticism, condemnation, and ridicule, even when justified, are never going to lead to the lasting change in behaviour that we desire. Learning to effectively engage with people in both the personal and professional setting is critical in the success of our careers and home life.
💭 Quote of the Week
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
🔭 Sunday Best
You Are The Sunshine of My Life — performed by Stevie Wonder in 1999 at the Polar Music Prize Banquet.
Other People’s Mistakes — by Morgan Housel. Humans tend to be a judge of the mistakes of others and a lawyer for their own.
The Bet — a short story by Anton Chekhov, translated by Constance Garnett. Both individuals have made significant contributions to modern Russian literature.
💡 Food for Thought
The Law of Subtraction: Removing the negative can be just as impactful as the addition of the positive.
What in your life is holding you back that you can remove?
Cheers,
AT