The Power of Optimism
Steve Barkley
sbarkley@plsweb.com
Presentation Title
My optimism shows when
You know my optimism is low when
you see
Optimism: a bright and hopeful
feeling about life in which one
expects things to turn out all right the belief that there is more good
than evil in life.
Power of Optimism
Alan Loy McGinnis
Research shows optimism can improve:
Health
Relationships
Job Performance
Income
Test Scores
McGinnis found that optimists:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Are never surprised by trouble
Value partial solutions
Believe they have control over the future
Plan for regular renewal
Have heightened powers of admiration
Interrupt their negative trains of thought
McGinnis found that optimists
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Are cheerful even when they can’t be happy
Have an almost unlimited capacity for stretching
Build plenty of love into their lives
Share good news
Use their imaginations to rehearse success
Accept what cannot be changed
Are never surprised by trouble
Optimists imagine the worst case
scenario before taking action.
Value
Partial
Solutions
Optimists Value
Partial Solutions
They get
started!
Have Alternatives
Consciously Practice Positiveness
Celebrate
Have Alternatives
3. Believe they have control over the future
4. Plan regular renewal
8. Have an almost unlimited capacity for stretching
12. Accept what cannot be changed
Optimists Continually
Build Options
Learn
Stretch
What is your GRIT score?
Setbacks don’t discourage me.
•
•
•
•
•
Very much like me
Mostly like me
Somewhat like me
Not much like me
Not like me at all
Take the GRIT Test
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/8item%20Grit%20081011.pdf
Consciously Practice
Positiveness
5. Have heightened powers of admiration
6. Interrupt their negative trains of thought
7. Are cheerful even when they can’t be happy
11. Use their imaginations to rehearse success
Conscious Positiveness
Verbal
Non-Verbal
#1 You didn’t study enough.
#2 You rushed and made careless mistakes.
#3 Those grades will never get you into the
university you want.
Reframe your child’s language
• I’ll never be able to
do this.
• Math just doesn’t
make sense.
Picture the
Successful Future
Celebrate
9. Build plenty of love into their lives
10. Share the good news
Building Winners
•
•
•
•
Victims
Sustainers
Dreamers
Winners