GUIDING LIGHT
Is the glass half empty or half full?
“I s the glass half empty or half full” is a common phrase, used rhetorically to signify a situation as negative or positive as seen by a person, where half-empty glass signifies a pessimistic perception and half-full glass is regarded as optimistic perception. This question is a powerful one as it encourages a person to check his/her thoughts about a given situation in life. The great Shakespeare once said that “there is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so”, meaning that it is not really about what we see in life, but how we see it is what makes a difference. As subjective creatures, our perceptions influence the way we look at situations and people around us.
Our reasoning power, culture, moral values, education, and many other factors contribute to the formation of our perceptions. Basis this, we unconsciously build our personalities which makes us different from the others in the world, including our siblings, friends and family members. Each personality looks at a given situation differently and hence responds differently.
This perception does not only impacts the way we look at situations or others but it also impacts the way we see or think about ourselves. We must constantly train our minds to see the glass half full in order to become optimistic and attract positivity. With an optimistic perception in life, we are bound to feel more happy and energetic to take on to the challenges that life throw at us. Various studies also highlight that traits such as optimism or pessimism can affect many areas of our health and wellbeing. The good news is that one can always turn their negative perception or thoughts into positive ones with mindfulness, focus, and practice.
Some activities that can help you embrace optimism are:
1. Pause and evaluate thoughts several times a day. If the thoughts are mainly negative, then find a more positive outlook for them.
2. Distance yourself from on-going difficult situations and find a solution without burdening your mind with negative thoughts that could go wrong for you. 3. Many studies have shown that regular exercise helps improve positive thoughts and keeps the mind and the body healthy. Always remember that our minds possess all the power we need to be positive, happy and grateful. However, we have to find ways to tap into the true potential of our minds to turn our lives around.