No…
But neither is pessimism.
Optimism or “Seeing the world through rose-colored glasses” can be one of the biggest mistakes a person makes.
Optimism can cost you time, money, even your life (think: being overly optimistic about a global pandemic and deciding that you don’t need to prepare or listen to the warnings from officials…)
What is truly productive is this…
An unwavering belief in your ability to solve the problems presented to you by life.
And unshatterable pragmatism and realism as you attempt to solve those problems.
Self-belief is not “optimistic”. It’s based on sound evidence.
Other people who are no better, smarter, or more advantaged than you have found ways to succeed and live exceptional lives… so can you.
BUT…
It will require hard work, sweat, sacrifice (maybe a smattering of blood). Things probably won’t work out in the short term.
You will fail. You will lose money. People will break up with you. Friends will betray you.
Shit will happen.
That’s just a part of life.
This is not an admonishment to be pessimistic and think that just because the worst can happen, it will.
Rather to be brutally realistic.
Take, for example, entrepreneurship…
The optimist says, “This’ll be great! I’m going to make millions with my first idea and take care of everybody I love!”
Challenges arise, setbacks occur, and failure strikes and the optimist gives up.
The pessimist says, “I’ll never make it work. 80% of small businesses fail anyway. I might as well just stay in my soul sucking job.”
Thus, the pessimist defeats themself before they even begin.
But the realist says, “This is going to be challenging. I’m going to encounter failures and setbacks, but they’re just part of the process. If I am resilient and resourceful enough…if I learn from the right people, avoid making stupid mistakes, and put in the hard work necessary to succeed, I will eventually make this work.”
The realist always wins.
Stay Grounded,
Andrew
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