My latest career success coach book, Success Tweets: 140 Bits of Common Sense Career Success Advice, All in 140 Characters or Less is now available on Amazon.com and in bookstores. I am in the process of blogging about each of the tweets in it. You can get a free copy of Success Tweets at www.SuccessTweets.com. If you like it, I’d appreciate a positive review on Amazon.com.
We’re on to the self confidence tweets, 41 — 60. This career success coach post is on Tweet 42…
Choose optimism. It builds your confidence. Believe that today will be better than yesterday, and that tomorrow will be better yet.
I’m a big believer in the power of optimism. I think it is the foundation of all self confidence and career success. You can’t be self confident if you’re not optimistic. And, optimism is a choice. I get up every day believing that good things will happen – and then I go about making them happen.
When I was a kid, I participated in the local Optimist International chapter’s oratory contest. I won my section, and finished third in the state. The topic that year was “Optimism, Youth’s Greatest Asset.” That’s hard enough for a ninth grader to say (think Joe Pesci in “My Cousin Vinnie”) let alone write and deliver a ten minute talk.
Optimist International is a great service organization. They help kids build self confidence and become more optimistic. The Optimist Creed defines them. It’s powerful stuff. Take a look…
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.
I love The Optimist Creed. I have it framed and hanging in my office, just above my desk. I have made a .pdf of The Optimist Creed that is suitable for framing. If you want a copy, just go to https://budbilanich.com/optimist.
One thing that you’ll notice about The Optimist Creed is that it is proactive. It asks you to promise yourself to do ten things that will help you create the life and career success that you want and deserve.
It suggests that optimism is related to action – action you can take to become more optimistic and to build your career success. I think it is some of the best career advice I’ve come across. I do my best to live the 10 points in The Optimist Creed every day. You should too.
I especially like the fourth point – promise yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. This point goes directly to the idea of committing to taking personal responsibility for your life and career success. I know it’s difficult to look at the sunny side of things when you’re mired in a problem or are dealing with a failure. However, if you look for what you can learn from problems and failures, you’ll be looking at the sunny side. More important, you’ll be on your way to making your optimism come true.
Christopher Reeve is no longer with us, but he exemplified the idea of looking at the sunny side of things. Even though he was paralyzed from the neck down after a riding accident, he devoted himself to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries. I loved the way his optimism comes across in this quote…
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”
Christopher Reeve looked at the sunny side of his injury and did what he could to make his optimism come true. His foundation carries on the work he started.
The common sense career success coach point here is simple. Successful people are self confident. Self confident people are optimists. They follow the career advice in Tweet 42 in Success Tweets. “Choose optimism. It builds your confidence. Believe that today will be better than yesterday, and that tomorrow will be better yet.” The Optimist Creed is a great guide to becoming more optimistic and self confident. Its proactive approach to life is a great guide to creating the life and career success you want and deserve. Remember the old saying, “Whether you’re an optimist, or a pessimist you’ll be proven right.” I choose optimism, and suggest you do too.
That’s my take on the career advice in Tweet 42 in Success Tweets. What’s yours? Please share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment. As always, thanks for reading.
Bud
Bud, this is a great post. I work for Optimist International and t’s always nice to hear stories from people who were touched by an Optimist Club growing up. I truly believe that Optimism can be spread and I am glad to see you are sharing this with others. I look forward to reading your book and hope you are still an Optimist Member! http://www.optimist.org/friend
Thanks for your kind words Maggie:
I love Optimist International and The Optimist Creed. I spread the word every chance I get.
Send your snail mail address to Bud@BudBilanich.com and I’ll send you a signed copy of “Success Tweets.”
Yours in optimism,
Bud Bilanich
This brings back memories of the local Optimist club from my youth. They were very involved with the schools. As a kid you don’t realize the full impact that they have until you look back. A wonderful organization.
Bobbi Jo:
Yes they are a wonderful organization doing great things for kids.
Glad you had a chance to get to know OI when you were in school.
Bud