Optimism & The Odyssey

wcn Digest, Vol १५, Issue 7

When you are presented with a thorny problem, how do your respond? When you
have been dealt a serious blow by life, what do you tell yourself?

Today, I want to talk about the power of optimism. In Allan McGinnis' book,
"The Power of Optimism," he reminds us of a wonderful scene in Homer's,
"Odyssey."

Odysseus' son is worried that his father will never come home from the wars.
But Pallas Athene, the heroine of the book, gently reassures him by saying,
"Your father will not be exiled much longer... trust Odysseus to get free.
He always finds a way."

This is an excellent description of option thinkers: No matter how tough the
problem, no matter how great the odds, the option thinker always believes
there is a solution. Option thinkers keep trying, experimenting, and
looking. And eventually, one of their efforts bears fruit. They just refuse
to give up when things get tough.

When Odysseus finally does make it home, in time to drive away his wife's
suitors and reunite his family, it is perhaps the greatest homecoming scene
in all literature.

So what do you tell yourself when you are up against a wall? What do you say
when you have been knocked down by life? Instead of looking for someone or
something to blame, instead of falling silent in defeat and depression, why
not remember Odysseus and tell yourself, "I'll find a way. No matter what, I
will find a way!"

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com