The Power of Optimism for Leaders – Promise #3

Help Your Friends and Your Team Believe in Themselves Using the Power of Optimism

As transformational leaders, we often focus on influencing others and achieving results within our own careers. 

But you have the opportunity to influence people in your personal life, too! The power of optimism can be incredibly effective at helping your family and friends believe in themselves and their ability to achieve the dreams they hold dear.

This post is part of a series that examines the promises of The Optimist Creed and the power of optimism for leaders, a life-changing set of promises created by the renowned American New Thought leader, teacher and author, Christian D. Larson. 

We’ve covered promise #1 and promise #2, and today, we are discussing promise #3 of this uplifting creed: “to make all your friends feel that there is something in them.”

By deliberating employing this principle, you can plant the seed of truth that every individual is a master of their own destiny, capable of achieving any result they desire.

The Power of Optimism on the Golf Course

I experienced the life-changing impact you can have on the people around you by employing this particular step of The Optimist Creed one day on the golf course.

I was golfing with one of my best friends, a professional golfer. We were teeing off at a par 3 hole, which was up on a hill overlooking the ocean. 

Like most golfers I know, I dreamed of hitting a hole in one. So as I was preparing to tee off, I paused to imagine hitting the ball straight into the hole in one laser-like shot. I even said out loud to my buddy,

“Today’s my day. This is the hole – I’m getting a hole in one.”

I swung my club, hit the ball, and watched it land on the green … where it rolled right by the hole. 

My buddy, the golf pro, complimented me on my golf shot, then added,

“Although you think you got close to a hole in one, let me tell you something. I’ve been playing golf for more than 30 years. I’ve been a golf pro for 20 years. I’ve played 15,000 par threes in my career, and I’ve never had a hole in one.

“It’s tougher than you think, John, to get a hole in one,” he concluded. 

With that, he teed up his ball and prepared to hit his shot. 

I replied,

“You know what, Rob, I hear you. I know that it’s difficult — but I know that it’s not impossible. And I know that of all the people that I’ve ever played golf with, if there’s one person I know who can get a hole in one, it’s you.”

I continued,

“You might not want to stand up here and imagine that you’re going to get a hole in one — but I’m going to imagine that you get a hole in one.”

Because I knew something that maybe Rob didn’t know.

I knew that Rob is made of the same thing we’re all made of — vibrating energy.

And if he’s vibrating with a thought that he’s going to get a hole in one — if he’s even a little bit optimistic — that shift increases his chances of it happening.

Does it mean that he’ll hit a hole in one immediately after declaring that intention? No. But it does make it more likely. Being positive and optimistic is powerful – especially for leaders.

So I held that image for Rob as he hit his ball. The ball hit the green, but didn’t go in the hole. It was okay, though, because it was a moment where Rob experienced a shift in his thinking.

Leaders Beat the Odds with Optimism

The next week, Rob was playing in a professional golf tournament. Many of these tournaments will have a number of chances to get a hole in one. But usually there’s one hole on the golf course where they will actually put a massive grand prize.

If you happen to be the person who gets a hole in one — with a 1 in 12,000 chance — not only do you have the pride of getting a hole in one, but you can win a major prize.

This particular tournament offered a grand prize of a Cadillac Escalade to anyone who could hit a hole in one on a certain hole. 

On the night of the first round of the tournament, my phone rang. I picked up and could barely hear the caller’s voice because there was so much background noise.

But I could recognize that it was Rob calling. He says,

“John, you’re not going to believe this — but I got my first hole in one in a professional tournament, and I won the Cadillac Escalade!”

This was four days after I planted the seed of that optimistic thought in Rob’s mind — that after 30 years of never having a hole in one, he would finally achieve that dream.

After 30 years of thinking the same thought of disbelief, Rob changed his thought — and shifted his result in just four days. 

Optimism Changes Energy

As Albert Einstein discovered and described, everything is energy. Our job is simply to match the frequency of what we want to attract and create.

We want to hold the image of what we want in our minds, and hold the feeling of what it’s like to be living our dreams in our hearts.

That’s where the power of positive thinking and optimism can make a difference — by shifting our vibration. 

Does it mean nothing negative is ever going to happen? Of course not. But it does mean that it’s more likely that we’ll enjoy positive results. Having an optimistic and positive mindset can create enough of a shift that we can create different results.

As my experience with Rob illustrated, we can have a tremendous impact on others simply by living the principles of The Optimist Creed.

This week, I invite you to live into the idea of being that person to your friends — the person who can absolutely see the potential that they may or may not recognize within themselves.

Just as I’m being that person for you, I encourage and even challenge you to be that person for your friends. Help them create a shift in their mindset by creating space for a different result. That’s what transformational leaders do!

Now it’s your turn — Has anyone ever served you by helping you believe in your potential? Or have you been able to plant a seed of belief in someone you care about – and then watched it blossom?

Share your experiences below!