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Some say that the human race can be lumped into
two groups: the Glass-is-half-empty Group and the Glass-is-half-full
Group. These two groups are better known as the Pessimist Group and
the Optimist Group. Few of us like to admit that we are pessimists
and would be quick to say that we are just realists.
I heard a story about a rich man who had 10
year old twin boys. One was a diehard pessimist, always finding the
negative in everything. His father was concerned that the kid’s
pessimism would hurt his ability to succeed in life. The other twin
brother was the opposite, always finding something positive in every
situation, regardless of how obviously-dire the situation was. The
father felt that he had to find a way to bring both of them more
toward the center… having enough healthy skepticism, tempered with
hope for a good outcome. He planned to teach them both a lesson at
Christmas. That morning he had prepositioned their Christmas gifts
in two separate empty rooms. In the pessimist’s room was a pile of
every toy on the market, from video games to iPads and smartphones,
stacked almost to the ceiling. In the optimist’s room was a pile of
horse manure.
On Christmas morning he sent them to their
rooms to open their gifts, while he stood in the hallway and
listened. Within moments, the optimist was whooping and laughing
and celebrating while the pessimist was crying and complaining. The
dad ran to the pessimist’s room and found him sitting in the pile of
toys, crying. n the pile of
toys, crying.
The dad asked him what was wrong. he kid said
that all of the toys used batteries and it wouldn’t be long before
they would be out of power and he would then have to take the time
to change all the batteries. The dad then went to the pessimist’s
room and found the kid, laughing and celebrating, on his knees in
the pile of manure, digging with his hands. The dad asked why he was
so happy. The kid said, “Dad, with all of this horse manure, there’s
got to be a pony here somewhere!”
I know… I know… three paragraphs to get in a
lame joke. But, it does make a point, which is; Your
attitude about life, be it pessimistic or optimistic,
matters. It determines how you interact with people and how you
design the legacy you will leave for your family. It determines how
you will be remembered. At your funeral, will people be thinking,
“I’m glad he’s out of his misery,” or will they say, “
What a great guy… I want to be like him?”
In the New Testament, Philippians 2:5 says,
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”
(NASB). Of course, Christ was the picture of love, service and
sacrifice. A good dose of HIS ATTITUDE would do us all some good.
May your glass always be half full!
Max Holt, Class 02-67
Association Chaplain
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