From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. Food For Thought If you're on the right side of the turf, how bad can it be? It's clear to me that, time and time again, optimism and enthusiasm have literally saved the day and sometimes the empire. Enthusiasm is infectious-spread it. In Other Words One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making Optimism a way of life can restore faith in yourself. ~ Lucille Ball Optimist: someone who isn’t sure whether life is a tragedy or a comedy but is tickled … [Read more...]
“Can Do” Enthusiasm
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. The Electricity of Life One characteristic that, in my experience, goes hand in hand with optimism is enthusiasm. That’s certainly been the case with the optimists I’ve known and it’s true in my life as well. In fact, “enthusiasm” is listed among the synonyms I found for “optimism.” One of my favorite definitions of enthusiasm came from a man named Gordon Parks. "Enthusiasm,” he wrote, “is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit. Enthusiasm is natural; it … [Read more...]
The Power of Optimism
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. Brother Act It’s one thing to use the power of optimism to dramatically improve one’s health, as Norman Cousins did. It’s quite another to use it as the foundation on which to build a $100 million company. Meet Bert and John Jacobs, CEO and CCO, respectively, of New England-based Life is good, Inc. But don’t let those initials fool you; they’re not what you’d expect. Bert, the older by four years, is the company’s Chief Executive Optimist and John is the Chief Creative Optimist. The story begins in … [Read more...]
Look on the Bright Side
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. I imagine that, at one time or another, you’ve read or heard various definitions comparing optimism and pessimism. Perhaps the oldest and most familiar one involves a glass of water (or other beverage), which the optimist describes as half-full, and the pessimist as half-empty.Well, I recently heard of a young boy who turned that comparison upside down. After drinking half of his glass of milk, he set it down and announced: “I’m an optimist. My glass is half-empty.” Told that his view was pessimistic, he replied: … [Read more...]
Optimism
From Chapter 7, "Tolerating Risk: Being a Doer, Not a Dreamer" in Ingredients of Outliers Optimistic/Adaptable I’m optimistic, probably to a fault. This optimism allows me to approach challenges in a way that helps me look at them as opportunities as opposed to obstacles. However, I don’t mean you should be a Pollyanna. You should be approaching challenges with the requisite diligence and concern. Despite this, you can always find a silver lining in almost every situation. Here’s why I’m optimistic. I’ve learned from experience that things generally work out. I also know I usually … [Read more...]
Ingredients of Outliers Summary, by Dr. Douglas Winslow Cooper
What better way to look at your own work than through a fresh set of eyes? We found a summary of the foundational book in the Outlier Series, Ingredients of Outliers, not written by the author, Dr. John Shufeldt, but by another doctor, Douglas Winslow Cooper, PhD. He put the summary together for Asiance magazine, in an article titled, "How to be Outstanding". Check out his synopsis with a few of our instagram photos (follow us at @outlier_series) here: In his recently published The Ingredients of Outliers, physician-lawyer-businessman John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, has written a succinct … [Read more...]