Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?
More than 40 years ago, the late Earl Nightingale, an American motivational speaker known as the Dean of Personal Development, electrified his sales team at his insurance company with a message – the “stranges secret” – that would eventually motivate millions of people worldwide. In essence, the strangest secret is, “You are what you think; you are your thoughts.” For those of you who might be students of history and philosophy, you know that as powerful as this message is, it is not a new one. Abraham Lincoln said, “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “We become what we think about all day long.” William Shakespeare said, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” And Jesus said, “As you think, so shall you be.”
Consider the following beliefs and the consequences, both positive and negative, that would result if you were to adopt one versus the other:
A. This is a bad economy, and there are no good jobs available.
B. This is a challenging economy, but there are plenty of well-paying jobs just waiting for me if I work smarter and harder than my competitors.
A. The job search is painful and humiliating experience.
B. The job campaign will be enjoyable and a character-building endeavor.
A. It will take me forever to land a new job.
B. Armed with the right tools and strategies, I can land a new job quickly.
A. I’ll never find another job that will pay me what I was earning before.
B. I know my value, the results I can produce, and the benefits I bring to a new employer. This will position me to land a better-paying job in no time.
A. My family and friends will look down at me because I don’t have a job; this is embarrassing and humiliating.
B. With a confident attitude, my family and friends will support my job transition efforts and will be a positive influence in landing my next job.
A. My resume must conform to traditional standards and blend in with all other resumes.
B. My resume can be an exciting and informative marketing document that communicates my value and sets me apart from my competition.
A. Resumes are only beneficial for getting my foot in the door.
B. Resumes are important documents that identify value, instill a sense of confidence, and strengthen me as an interviewee so I can land a new, more rewarding job.
A. An interview is a forum where I am judged, and I don’t like being judged.
B. An interview is just an encounter where two parties gather together to determine whether they can meet each other’s needs in an amicable and friendly manner.
A. I don’t need a written plan of action to get a job. I’ll just wing it.
B. If I fail to develop a written strategic action plan, I can expect to fail; so I will develop the best written plan possible to achieve my job goals.
A. I hate networking. I’ll never get a good job because I don’t have a strong network of contacts.
B. I’ll enjoy the process of establishing a personal sales team, make up of people I know and new relationships I will cultivate, who will assist me to land the perfect job.
A. I can’t afford to spend money on getting a new job because I have no job.
B. I can’t afford not to invest in getting a new job even if I have no job, because If I don’t invest in my future, I may not have one.
Source: 101 Best Ways To Land A Job In Troubled Times by Jay A. Block (2010)
Tags: Cafe, Workaholics
