This roller coaster we call life is full of ups and downs and everything in between. Although some of the twists and turns can cause heartache or stress, it is important to find the silver lining. This may seem hard during your lowest of lows; however, a positive outlook on life can truly make a difference. By being able to look on the bright side and become more positive, people are able to shift their perspective and better aim for success. As funny as it may seem, there is a day that is dedicated to this entire philosophy. December 21st, 2015 is recognized as Look on the Bright Side Day. … [Read more...]
The Power of Optimism
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. Brother Act It’s one thing to use the power of optimism to dramatically improve one’s health, as Norman Cousins did. It’s quite another to use it as the foundation on which to build a $100 million company. Meet Bert and John Jacobs, CEO and CCO, respectively, of New England-based Life is good, Inc. But don’t let those initials fool you; they’re not what you’d expect. Bert, the older by four years, is the company’s Chief Executive Optimist and John is the Chief Creative Optimist. The story begins in … [Read more...]
Look on the Bright Side
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. I imagine that, at one time or another, you’ve read or heard various definitions comparing optimism and pessimism. Perhaps the oldest and most familiar one involves a glass of water (or other beverage), which the optimist describes as half-full, and the pessimist as half-empty.Well, I recently heard of a young boy who turned that comparison upside down. After drinking half of his glass of milk, he set it down and announced: “I’m an optimist. My glass is half-empty.” Told that his view was pessimistic, he replied: … [Read more...]
Optimism
From Chapter 7, "Tolerating Risk: Being a Doer, Not a Dreamer" in Ingredients of Outliers Optimistic/Adaptable I’m optimistic, probably to a fault. This optimism allows me to approach challenges in a way that helps me look at them as opportunities as opposed to obstacles. However, I don’t mean you should be a Pollyanna. You should be approaching challenges with the requisite diligence and concern. Despite this, you can always find a silver lining in almost every situation. Here’s why I’m optimistic. I’ve learned from experience that things generally work out. I also know I usually … [Read more...]
Are Outliers Likable? What can be Learned from the Trending 13 Habits
We posted an article titled 13 Habits of Exceptionally Likeable People on the Outlier Series Facebook page and author John Shufeldt posted it as well. We came across the article in Entrepreneur.com and a version of it was first published in TalentSmart.com. So it seems, that not only has this article made its way into trending content, but post engagement from our fans on both pages- (in clicks, likes, and shares) showed it's a topic you as outliers are interested in. We took a closer look at the article, to see if the ideas matched with the 16 characteristics of exceptional leaders in … [Read more...]
Fake it Until you Make it: The Power of Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm, what is it? Being in a constant state of happiness, passion, and enthusiasm? Never letting anything get you down. Having life hurdle countless lemons at you and effortlessly concocting barrels of lemonade? These are all nice thoughts, but unfortunately, to most adults and teens; they may seem like a bit of a stretch. With a sense of realism in mind, it’s important to be optimistic and enthusiastic, so let’s look at how to do this, as it does not always happen without effort as discussed in chapter 10 of Ingredients of Outliers: A Recipe for Personal Achievement. The word … [Read more...]