Archives for February 2014 | I am Optimism Man

Body Language and First Impressions

Feb 232014

Most people realize the importance of this quote:

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

— Will Rogers

Another famous thought that we all can complete is…. “Don’t judge a book by ___ _________.”

Will is dead on right. Unfortunately, many people do judge books — and other people — by the cover. More specifically, people judge by their first impressions.

If you want to make an impact, if you want to influence people, if you want to leave a legacy by making a difference, first impressions matter. Second impressions matter too — you have to prove your integrity — but I believe first impressions matter most. What’s fascinating to me is that there appears to be a way that you can improve your chances through your body language.

Please watch this thought-provoking video by social psychologist, Amy Cuddy. Her research on body language indicates that we can change our own body chemistry and other people’s perceptions simply by changing body positions. If true, the potential is awesome for any stressful moment, such as walking into a job interview, or auditioning for a part, or in any situation where you consciously want to make a great first impression.

What a great lesson to teach your kid. He or she isn’t going to get this lesson in high school.

I.M. Optimism Man

Believe You Can! Great Moment #2

Belief, Inspire, Success

Feb 212014

Belief is always more than half the battle. During these Winter Olympics, no moment proved this point more clearly than USA’s T.J. Oshie versus Russia, in the overtime shootout.

Click on the video below. Here is how T.J. Oshie built his mental momentum, long before stepping onto the Olympic ice in Sochi.

Optimism alone doesn’t bring you a gold medal. Goals, hard work, practice, determination, talent, family support and more — all matter too. But, without belief, you will not get there. Believe you can, and you can.

I.M. Optimism Man

Brilliant Questions

Choice, Inspire, Listening

Feb 162014

I spend an extraordinary amount of time thinking about questions.

Most people talk all the time and rarely listen. When they are not talking, they are busy formulating the next thing they will say as soon as they spot the opportunity to interject, which reduces their available brain cycles for truly hearing what another person is saying.

I believe you can accomplish the extraordinary by asking the right questions at the right time.

Just One More Thing…

Conversely, telling someone what you think they should do rarely works, even if your statements are spot-on. No one likes to be told. I believe dramatically minimizing the use of the word “should” out of one’s vocabulary is critically important, if you want to be a positive catalyst to all around you.

The next time you are headed to an internal meeting at work that you know might be a bit contentious, take just 15 minutes and develop some great questions. Wait for the right time to ask those questions, and watch how effectively the right question, asked sincerely, can turn a meeting from negative to positive.

Great progress is possible, if you become Columbo and ask (and listen) far more often than you tell.

I.M. Optimism Man

Why Be Optimistic? Do you live in America?

Hope, Opportunity

Feb 072014

What’s your annual income? Is it more than $34 K per year? If so, you are in the richest 1% of the world.

To be in the top 50% on the globe, you need to earn $1,225 per year. Top 20%? $5,000 per year. Top 10% is attained by earning $12,000 per year.

What does it take to make the top 0.1%? Only $70 K!

Around 4% of people on planet Earth are fortunate enough to live in the USA. If you are reading OptimismMan.com, you are probably here. America’s poorest are among the richest people on the planet. Be grateful that you are an American.

Thank you Branko Milanovic (World Bank economist) for the numbers.

I’m thanking my lucky stars (and stripes)!

I.M. Optimism Man