Half Full vs. Half Empty

We are all aware of pessimistic and optimistic behavior in our everyday life. We interact with all sorts of personalities on a daily basis, most oftentimes not thinking much about it. That is, until we experience one extreme or the other. One example that quickly comes to my mind is the grocery store - there are so many opportunities to interact with fellow shoppers. For example, have you ever wanted to grab a jug of milk from the dairy case, only to find an elderly person surveying all the milk products, thus preventing anyone else from squeezing in? In a situation like that, we have 2 choices- we can get irritated, sigh, grimace, and push our way thru to get what we want (pessimistic) or, we can simply wait patiently, smile when the shopper turns around, and obtain our item when the dairy case is clear (optimistic). Which would you rather be? At the risk of sounding cheesy, I would much rather be the optimistic patient soul.

I have a pet peeve of being around people who complain about waiting in line; we are all waiting our turn, the staff waiting to help us are working as fast as they can, yet a pessimistic person prefers to loudly vocalize their displeasure at the wait. This has a ripple effect, and before you know it, more and more of those waiting in line are growing impatient with each minute. One person has the power to upset many simply by projecting their pessimistic outlook upon complete strangers.

On the other side of the coin, have you ever encountered the kindness of a stranger when you were having an off day? Perhaps it was just a smile or a kind word, but I bet whatever it was, it made you feel a million times better. A small gesture can be incredibly profound.

In this day and age of stress coming at us from to all angles, is it really worth getting upset over things we have no control over?

Next time you are at the grocery store, make a point to really notice some of the behaviors happening around you. It really is eye-opening, and it makes us realize how the way we view things and interact can have a huge impact on others.

Is your glass half full, or half empty? YOU have the power to decide.......