I once read an article entitled, “Be an optimist without being a fool” on Harvard Business Review. The article made a lot of sense to me because majority of those who are optimistic end up being fools because of lack of foresight. We fail to see that achieving anything doesn’t come easy.
Every step, milestone, success needs some considerable amount of effort to be achieved.
Day in day out, we encourage each other to believe in ourselves, our ideas, our visions, our goals in order to accomplish our purpose in life. The phrase, “If you believe you will succeed then you will”, is common to us all but realistically, is this it?
It is good to be optimistic particularly when you are venturing into something new or are out to achieve something. Optimism, determination, confidence, having a positive attitude will and can drive you to achieving your goals but it is not a guarantee. We need to learn to be realistic optimists rather than unrealistic optimists. The road to success is not easy and believing that you will easily succeed is a ‘fallacy’ and that is being an unrealistic optimist.
Let’s face it, when we perceive or think that something is easy, we rarely put the required amount of effort to accomplish it. We think that we will achieve it nonetheless. However, if we know that the road to success is not easy, we tend to put extra effort to get where we want to be. Believing that the road to success will be rocky will help you plan effectively and give you the drive to endure tough times.
Being optimistic and realistic at the same time trains you to search and work for that which you do not have. Don’t be distracted from your vision by anyone. If you think it and believe in it then it is up to you to do it and to be it. Success is hard-won forces you to put in the necessary effort. Nothing worth having comes easy so don’t spend too much time visualizing the end result. Instead, envision the steps you will take to get there.
Think it. Believe it. Do it. Be it.
Thinking by Walter D. Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but you think you can’t
It is almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!
