We all know the “glass half full” versus “glass half empty” metaphor: The optimist sees it as half full, the pessimist sees it as half empty. The optimist has a positive response to an obstacle or a setback! It’s not just looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, it’s a positive attitude about a realistic future, and about the realistic possibilities we create for the future.
As one very successful client of mine has said, “I see the glass as half-full, even when I’ve spilled the whole thing.” While there is a good bit of humor in his version of this proverb, it has some well-founded advice contained in it. There will be times when you’ve accidentally spilled the whole glass. Yes, it’s empty. But you don’t have to see it as empty even when it’s spilled. Instead, you can “visualize” the glass as gradually filling up, and then being completely full. In order to achieve something, you have to be able to see the goal in your mind, to make it a real and achievable reality. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson We can’t go back and undo the setbacks that we’ve lived through. We can only reinvent the course that we need to be on and take that path. Start with where you are right now because that’s the only place you can start! Use your compass to find the direction towards success and put one foot in front of another. And those aren't rose-colored glasses, they're windows into a possible future. “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” – Oscar Wilde |
Alan LidzI was trained as a psychotherapist in California, and I have had over thirty years of experience in helping people through therapy and coaching. I hold a Ph.D. degree in psychology, and I have dedicated the focus of my work to the practice of Life Coaching. Archives
July 2016
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