There’s an old saying, “Optimists are right, pessimists are too. You get to choose which one you’ll be.” I choose optimism. Optimism is a great way to jumpstart your career success.
When I was a young guy, I participated in the Optimist International oratory contest. The topic that year was, “Optimism, Youth’s Greatest Asset;” which is hard enough for a ninth grader to say, (Think Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinnie.) let alone to write and deliver a 10 minute talk on. It was a great experience for me; one that gave me some of the confidence I needed to become a professional speaker.
Optimist International is a great service organization. Their mission is to bring out the best in kids; and to help them develop to their full potential by providing hope and positive vision. The Optimist Creed is their touchstone. It is some of the best common sense advice I’ve ever seen. I have a copy of it posted in my office. See for yourself…
The Optimist Creed
Promise Yourself:
- To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
- To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
- To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
- To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
- To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
- To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
- To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
- To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
- To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
- To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
The seventh point of The Optimist Creed — forget the mistakes of the pat and press on to the greater achievements of the future — is the most helpful for me. I am an active person. I am always looking for new and better ways to do my work and get across my message. I try new things all the time. Some of the things I try don’t work out as I planned and hoped. I treat these failures as learning experiences. I use them to help me to create greater achievements in the future.
That’s what optimists do; and what you should do too. Embrace your mistakes and failures. Learn from them. Treating your mistakes and failures as learning opportunities is a great way to jumpstart your career success.
If you follow the common sense advice in The Optimist Creed you will not only become a more self confident and optimistic person, you will become a career success.
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