I read The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger the CEO of Disney. Its like a memoir, but his intention was for it to share what he’s learned over the years.
It’s so interesting to get into these guys head and see how they think.
He talked about being optimistic and I think it’s worth sharing, especially since discussions of optimism always coincide with the glass being half full… which really isn’t that tangible.
He said, “optimism emerges from faith in yourself and in the people who work for you. It’s not about saying things are good when they’re not, and it’s not about conveying some blind faith that “things work out“. It’s about believing in yours and others abilities.
This goes with my theory on gratitude. It’s not helpful to be grateful for things that aren’t ok because you aren’t validating your feelings. You can be grateful for the lessons you learn, or the people who support you. You can be grateful for things you are truly grateful for.
If you mix these two ideas of optimism and gratitude together, their premise is similar.
Don’t try to fool yourself about the current reality.
What I really like about his optimism quote is that it puts the onus on you. You can get through it. You can figure it out. You are capable. And you need to put your focus there. I love this.