I went to a coffee shop in White Plains, NY. The music blared outside the shop. I would have covered my ears if I had a free hand. Inside was different music….. Greek.
The tall, well-built owner had a shop full of pastries and coffees. The owner told me he was not Greek. A regular customer walked in and greeted him with Shalom.There were small amounts of many types of pastries from cakes to spanakopita to turnovers. I had planned to sit down and write, but the environment was too loud, so I ordered and left. His cafe had 4.9-star reviews. His food was delicious. He was friendly and said ‘God bless’ when I left. Perhaps it was my lack of caffeine that made me unable to cope and stay. But as I left, I wondered did he suffer the fate of so many food establishments? Great food, high costs, low margins? Was he living in fear of failing or in faith that he would be successful?
Faith or fear is our prediction of the future. Fear is just negative faith. Fears are composed of catastrophic thinking, emotions of fear, defeat, or anger. Faith is imagining a positive future, and the emotions are excitement, joy, and anticipation.
And then there is reality.
Optimist: “My restaurant has great food, and I will have more customers than I did yesterday.”
Pessimist: My restaurant did not make much money yesterday. It will probably be the same today.”
Optimist when customers come in:
- “Hi, great to see you!”
- “What would you like?”
- “Hey, I love that shirt.”
- “Here you go, have a great day, and let your friends know about us. I put a card in your bag. See you next time.”
Pessimist when a customer comes in:
- “Can I help you? Coffee and a bagel coming up. Here is your order that will be $6.”
Both are serving their customers and are polite. Yet their words and behavior each tell a very different story.
Our optimist has faith that he will succeed and knows that human connection and making customers feel appreciated and cared for creates an emotional connection that brings people back. The focus is on the dream of a successful coffee shop.
Our pessimist expects to fail and is focused on providing a good product, getting the order right, and making money. The pessimist keeps a close eye on the practical and so is always trying to prevent catastrophe before it happens. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for enjoying the journey.
Perhaps we need to be pessoptimists! Keep our eyes on the practical, knowing the risks and potential downfalls, but creating a vibrant dream, sharing it with everyone, and enjoying the journey along the way.
What we believe has the power to orchestrate reality to create the future and bring it into being. Faith used positively has created everything around us. The chair, house, gardens, etc. Fear tends to paralyze us. We are too afraid to take the risk and so miss opportunities. We tend to stay on the sidelines.
So when you feel fear, turn it around and will yourself to see the best outcome possible. As you imagine the best outcome, look for ways reality can help you reach your goals. Be bold in taking calculated risks. Aim high with your dreams and expectations. Work hard to achieve your dreams and goals. Have fun with your dreams, with your family, friends, and the many adventures you will have.
As my dad says, “Be bold, aim high, work hard, and have fun!”
God Bless
