Pessimism

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“If it bleeds, it leads.” ~ William Randolph Hearst

Cloudy with a Chance of Success

There’s a reason the phrase “If it bleeds, it leads” exists in the media, it captures people’s attention.

Eyeballs and ears gravitate toward sights and sounds of fear and panic.

Imagine: You’re about to cross a rickety bridge. Mr. Optimism skips along, whistling a happy tune, while Ms. Pessimism checks the planks, grumbling about “potential splinters and structural integrity.”

Who comes out ahead?

It depends.

The pessimist may appear to be the party pooper. Yet, she might’ve just saved some lives.

Humans are naturally, hard-wired with a built-in alarm system; constantly scanning for threats, risks, and what-ifs. Media companies know this and run stories accordingly.

Isn't optimism the real ally though?

Similar to “Expectations” (prior episode) the idea is that both pessimism and optimism can be superpowers when used wisely.

The trick is finding the balance – the sweet spot – the perspective that allows you to see both the storm and know that the sun is there, behind the clouds.

A few tips:

* Listen to both voices: Don’t silence Ms. Pessimism or Mr. Optimism. When facing a challenge, acknowledge the potential pitfalls, but also the possible triumphs.

* Plan for the worst, hope for the best: Ms. Pessimism can help you pack the umbrella, while Mr. Optimism keeps you looking for the rainbow.

* Prepare for bumps on the road, but don't lose sight of the finish line.

* Focus on personal growth: Both Mr. Optimism and Ms. Pessimism are twin guides of personal development. Pessimism may reveal weaknesses – opportunities for improvement, while optimism can showcase strengths to build on.

With an optimistic long-term perspective and a sharp scrutiny of threats in the near term, great things can be accomplished over time.

And, remember…

“Where there is hope in the future, there is happiness in the present.”

Success doesn’t ignore present storms yet, it finds a way to persist, find value where it may be hidden and know the sun is shining beyond.

Mentioned in this episode: The Psychology of Money

Enjoy the show!

~mg

P.S.: From the world of statistics: All models are flawed, but some are useful.

With this in mind, we asked Google’s AI experiment Bard to “break” the “Three Circles of Behavior System” model (perhaps a future post).

The short story (no pun intended) is he/she/IT could not.

The best Bard offered: “What about people who aren’t aware of their unconscious stories/thinking?

It’s a good question and a nice attempt. However, an unconscious story is still a story (represented within the model), and that is the point of the latest book, EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY where the latest version of the model was revealed.

BTW: YOU are also invited to try and “break” the “Three Circles of Behavior Echo-System” model.

If you think you can, please email or leave comments here.

*Note: ChatGPT’s does not know the model yet, officially published in October of 2022. GPT’s latest update is from January 2022.

***Get the inspiring, free and world’s first HABITS to GOALS tracking template here: → https://thehabitfactor.com/templates

“The Three Circles of Behavior Echo-System” / The Grunburg Behavior Model is a holistic, fluid, and dynamic behavior-change model. It’s the first behavior-change model to demonstrate how our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and even our environment vibrate (echo and reverberate) to influence each other.

Hence, the “Echo-System.” Other behavior models represent human behavior in a linear-flow type diagram.Background here.

If you’d like to understand human behavior at an even deeper level, learn more about the “Three Circles of Behavior Echo-System” which is featured in the book, “EVERYTHING!”

I teach and coach organizations and individuals worldwide how to best utilize and leverage “The Three Circles of Behavior Echo-System” (below) and the P.A.R.R. [Plan, Act, Record & Reassess] scientifically-backed methodology for individual and organizational behavior design.

Check out the latest cohort offering; the waitlist is now open: The 28-Day Breakthrough!

*Recently Awarded: “Finalist: Self-help, Motivation”International Book Awards: EVERYTHING is a F*cking STORY.

Visit https://thehabitfactor.com/templates

To learn more about P.A.R.R., just Google “P.A.R.R. and The Habit Factor.”

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