What would it be like if you expected success?
Thousands and thousands of years ago, our ancestors entered a wooded valley with a river.
The optimists said, “This will be wonderful! We can build shelter by the river using the wood that surrounds us; surviving on the abundant fish living within our grasp. Life will be wonderful!”
On the other hand, the pessimists reply, “Are you crazy! If we live down here in the forest, animals might eat us or the river will could flood, or lighting could set fire to the trees and kill us all. We have to live at the top of the mountain where the animals won’t come, there’s no chance of a flood, and fires are less likely.”
Optimists: “You’re nuts! We have everything here at our fingertips. Why would be purposely make life more harsh?”
Pessimists: “A harsh life is better than no life.”
Finding no resolution, the tribe splits with pessimists moving to the mountain and optimists chillin’ by the river. Of course, what happens?
The river floods and drowns all the optimists, leaving only the pessimists – who ended up becoming our ancestors.
That explains why it’s in our genetics to expect the worst outcome.
But, in our modern society, it’s not necessary to expect the worst any longer.
All it does is lessen our enjoyment of life. More importantly, when we live in a state of perpetual worry, we are less creative, actually setting in motion a likelihood that we won’t plan as well and that things will go poorly.One other reason we don’t imagine best case scenarios is we don’t want to be disappointed if things go south.
Honestly, even when you picture the worst and it does happen, don’t you still feel disappointed?