Optimism Part 9

This is the ninth article in a series on applying The Optimist Creed to help you succeed in your life and career. You can find all ten points of The Optimist Creed in the first article in this series.

The Optimist Creed Point 8

"Promise yourself to wear a cheerful countenance at all times, and give every living creature you meet a smile."

I’m a 60’s rock and roller. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were, and still are, one of my favorite groups. Point 8 of The Optimist Creed point reminds me of a line from Wooden Ships, one of their songs. “If you smile at me I will understand, because that is something everyone, everywhere does in the same language.”

It’s true; a smile is universally understood as a gesture of goodwill. That’s why I like the eighth point of the Optimist Creed so much. It’s simple common sense. Smile at people, and they smile back. I actually put this to the test one Friday. I was on a flight from Newark to Denver. I got an upgrade and was seated in 1E, so I was in a good position to make eye contact with almost everyone who got on the flight. As people got on the plane, I would catch their eye, and smile. All but two smiled back.

How does this relate to optimism and self confidence? Simple. You feel better about yourself and more self confident and optimistic when other people smile at you. The best way to encourage others to smile at you is to smile at them first.

To do this, you have to take a risk – albeit a small one. Smiling at others, sometimes – but not often – will get you a scowl in return. No one I know likes to have others scowl at him or her.

If you’ve been reading these thoughts on The Optimist Creed, you know that optimism is only one component of self confidence. In addition to being optimistic, self confident people face their fears and take action, and they surround themselves with positive people.

Facing your fear of rejection and taking action comes into play here. When you smile at strangers, you are taking action. You’re showing that you’re not afraid to engage them. They may scowl back, but so what? You’ve taken action to demonstrate that you are a friendly and open person. Who cares if they don’t reciprocate? It’s their loss if they don’t return a smile with a smile.

The common sense point here is simple. Smile and the world smiles with you – and that helps both your optimism and your self confidence.n