Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

You’ve likely heard the story that the pessimist sees the glass as half empty and the optimist sees the glass as half full. Both sides consider their opinions to be right, and the other view to be wrong. Both are judgments. I have a different take on the glass. I believe a more optimistic view is to see the glass as an opportunity to take action to create what you want. Do you want to empty the glass? Fill the glass full? Play with what’s in it? The choice is yours.

The world is always in a constant state of motion. There are changing seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. There are changing weather conditions: sunshine, clouds, rain, snow, heat, and cold. Usually you know you can’t change these things, and you don’t put judgments on them.

If you don’t want to get wet in the rain, you stay inside or cover up when you go out. If it gets cold in your house, you put on extra layers, start a fire, turn on the heat, etc. If you take no action, you will get wet or be cold. You probably automatically accept this and take action without really thinking about it or judging it.

There are probably things in your life that you complain about, but don’t take action to change. There are also probably actions you take because you believe that things “should” be different. Instead of seeing everything from a place of good, bad, right, or wrong, you can see everything as an opportunity to create what you want. When you get away from the judgment, you can take action from a place of passion. I usually find this to be much more effective.

Actions can be simple, like the personal ones I described to keep yourself dry and warm. They can also be larger. In the weather example, you can take action to help others who might not have the money to be able to heat their house or buy a rain coat. If you think the current weather is caused by climate change, you can take action to help change it.

You always have a choice. One choice is to respond from fear or a belief that something “should” be different. The other choice is to respond from passion and a desire for things to be different.

What are you passionate about? What do you want change in the New Year? Can you work to make it happen without attachment to the outcome? Just like the uncontrollable weather, you can’t control what happens. However you can control how you respond to what is going on around you.

My passion is helping people find the tools they need for success. I help people see that they have a choice in how they want to respond to the glass and anything else that life sends their way. The New Year is a perfect time to start putting into motion what you want. Songbird Community Healing Center offers lots of opportunities to help you do that.