It isn't always easy to be optimistic!

Optimism - Remaining Hopeful, Believing You Can, Seeing the Glass as Half FULL

This is key to a student’s success!  This is key to our own success!

For some people/students, optimism is second nature.  They have always had people to encourage them to have hope, persevere, and believe in themselves.  …And for some people/students, perseverance and believing in themselves is in response to discouragement.  They react by saying, “You say I can’t, but I say I can!”

…But there are those people/students who are really challenged by the thought of being optimistic about things in their life, let alone be optimistic about themselves.  For whatever reason, they have trouble believing in themselves.

All professions have pessimists.  They look at things and see that “half full glass.”  Sometimes, their insight as a pessimist is welcomed.  Pessimists, in my opinion, make very good “Problem Seers!”  They see the problems that optimists do not anticipate.   Sometimes, their pessimistic view can be very discouraging to a collaborative group trying to make the best of a situation.   So it is important that we identify pessimists and learn to help them channel that pessimism in the right direction.  ..And help the pessimist be optimistic about him/herself and others. 

 In the classroom/office we can work on encouraging an optimistic environment.  One that is accepting, nonjudgmental, and tolerant.  Teach that our mistakes and failures help us grow.  Be the kind of person that others/students see learning from mistakes.  Share your hope for yourself and your hopes for your students/others.

 

My mother was very good about teaching us with stories.  She was an accomplished pianist in the state of Illinois.  But her journey wasn’t easy.  …And being a pessimist, she needed a lot of encouragement herself.  She told us about her failed recitals.  …And about a piano teacher that wouldn’t let her give up.  Her piano teacher told her about riding horses.  She said that when you fall off a horse you immediately need to get back up and ride again,  so that you don’t become fearful to ride again.  So my mother “rode that horse,” every time she had a failed recital.  Consequently, each time we encountered a failure in our lives, she told us to “get back up on that horse.”  …And we did, because we believed her story.  It was okay to fail as long as we learned from our failures.  We believed we would eventually “ride that horse.”  

Be that teacher that won't let their student give up!  Be the one who believes in him/her!  Help him/her get back up on that horse as many times as it takes!  Optimism isn't always easy but it sure is worth the effort if it helps a child/person succeed!