We have probably all heard this question before. It is used in conversations about life and its experiences. I have heard people say an optimist will say it is half full, while a pessimist says it is half empty.
What do you say it is? Take a minute and picture in your mind the glass we are talking about or actually take a glass you can see through and fill it half way. Think about the question for a moment. What would you say? Is it half empty or half full?
While pondering this question and thinking about the true meaning of the question as it applies to life, I have come to this conclusion. The answer to the question is yes. The cup is both half empty and half full. There is no argument with that fact. So what is the question really asking us? What can we learn from this thought-provoking question?
What I have come to understand is life experiences happen; some we call good and some we call bad. The question is how do we “view” them? When we look at the “cup” we have been “handed” what do we see? Do we see what we are missing (half empty) or do we see what we are receiving (half full)?
My mother was probably the person in my life that had the greatest influenced on how I think. I had polio in my right arm when I was 5. She spent the next decade plus helping me “see” the possibilities of what I could do with my life without focusing on what I couldn’t do. Because of her ability to “see” what was “there”, I have never considered myself disabled. She challenged me to, in her words, “Use your brain, not your back”. She expected me to succeed. In her mind there was no question about it; the cup is half full.
Take this thought into the work place. I have been working in manufacturing companies for 50 years. The one thing that holds true in every place I have been is there were always problems. In fact, most management jobs would probably not even be needed if everything worked perfectly every time. I had a boss that always said, “There are no problems, only opportunities”; he saw the cup half full.
Without failure and problems we would not see the continued progress of our society. If candle light wasn’t a problem, man would not have been driven to invent the light bulb. Horses were not fast enough so we now have cars. Wagons couldn’t move enough needed material west so we now have trains.
The situations that have brought me the greatest fulfillment in the work place have been concerns solved with team problem solving. There is a bonding effect that happens to people when they work together and conquer problems. Coach John Wooden of UCLA fame once said, “People working together for a common goal can’t help but become friends”.
The next time you feel like the glass is half empty look at the possibilities. They are always there. The statement is true; the glass is half empty and half full. However, we can choose what we want to focus on. We can choose to solve that problem or let it make us less productive. We can give in to the negative talk we hear around us or we can be the positive force our organization needs.
Are there problems or opportunities? Is the cup half full or half empty? How do you want to approach it? It is your choice how you see the world. I believe the “have full” mindset brings greater job satisfaction and a happier work force. The end result is a positive effect on the bottom line. That is something we all want.
Christian Life Coach 