Proper Planning is not Pessimistic

I am often accused of being pessimistic. The problem is that when I am planning a new endeavor, I like to plan for unexpected contingencies. I brain storm all the possible ways my plans can be thwarted and then plan for what I will do if those unfortunate events should come to pass.

People who have embraced the idea of positive thinking, think I am attracting negativity to me. I am not into the power of positive thinking. I am a Humanist; I am into planning for success. The way I see it, the more I am ready for the negative possibilities, the more the negative possibilities won’t trip me up on my way forward. I am ready for them, I have planned for them and I can overcome them.

I liken this attitude to wearing a life preserver when out boating. Lots of people don’t wear life preservers. They don’t think they are going to have a problem. However, I want to be prepared. I have a much better chance of surviving a boating accident if I have a life preserver on than if I don’t. Thinking of the negatives does not kill my enthusiasm. It has the opposite effect. It helps me feel prepared and thus more ready to tackle my problems.

It is only by considering the possible negatives outcomes that I can truly make effective decisions that will minimize the potential downside of any of my activities. Why wouldn’t I want to do that? The way I look at it, mitigating potential problems isn’t pessimistic. It’s optimistic.