Two weeks ago, I was riding up the ski lift at my home mountain, Sugarbush in Vermont.
It was snowing, which if you’re a skier like me, is a good thing but the person next to me was complaining.
When I mentioned what a great day it was, great skiing and more snow coming down, his response was… 
that all the snow made it hard to see. Which to some degree was true but it was like complaining that the steak you were served at a restaurant was too big.
The moderate snowfall was a minor inconvenience in light of the great conditions. And while getting a portion bigger than you can eat isn’t perfect, taking home leftovers is a problem we can live with.
To me, it’s strange but some people always seem to see the world as a glass half empty. They always look at the dark side.
Take one of my clients. He signed up to get help with attracting more clients and now that his phone is ringing off the hook – is he happy?
No, now he’s complaining that he’s getting too many calls from people eager to spend money with him, and he is just ignoring most of them.
I’m sure this is grossly oversimplified, but in my experience there are two types of people. There are the ones who see the world as a glass half empty. These are the people who no matter what you suggest to them, their typical reaction is – sure they could try it but it probably won’t work.
And it’s true sometimes, the weather can turn bad unexpectedly, or an idea you try won’t work out. And sometimes being a skeptic is a good thing.
The problem with being a permanent skeptic, from viewing the world through a glass half empty perspective is that when you expect the worst, you help make it happen and you limit your own future.
Take the simple act of making a phone call.
If you assume the person who answers the phone won’t be interested, when you make the call – they’ll get the message, they’ll sense your negative attitude and they won’t be interested. And you, in essence, will have ensured the call was a failure.
On the other hand, viewing the world through a glass half-full perspective has its benefits. When you assume a positive outcome, it doesn’t guarantee it but it certainly increases the likelihood it will happen. When you’re willing to try new ideas, new approaches, invest in your future, you’re much more likely to succeed.
This past weekend is a good example. The weather forecast was for a chance of rain showers, not a good thing for my last week of skiing of the season. And I could have stayed home in Connecticut and avoided the long drive, which is what a lot of people did judging from the small number of people in the lift lines.
But, on the chance that the weather forecast was wrong, my wife and I jumped in the car and headed north to Vermont for the weekend anyways.
So what happened?
Thursday night the rain did come, but it turned to snow and we got a few inches. Then Friday night a surprise snow shower dropped a foot of snow making the weekend one of the best of the season.
In life and in business – it’s true –
“Those who hesitate are lost.”
How about you? Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty person?
Do you resist success or help create it?
Comments?
To your success,
Charlie
MarketingForSuccess
P.S. How’s business? Want more clients?
Find out how at www.ClientsDelivered.com
