“Every cloud has its silver lining, but it is sometimes a little difficult to get it to the mint.”
– Don Marquis
Maybe you think your latest project is going so well that you’ve already put in a bid on that new Porsche you’ve had your eyes on. Or you’ve made a deposit on the safari vacation in Tanzania, or that dream week in Anguilla.
Slow down. Stick to reading the glossy car magazines and watching the Discovery Channel until you know it is a done deal and the commission or the bonus cheque is not just “in the mail” but in your bank account.
It is wonderful to be an optimist. In business, it is a blessed gift, especially if it is genuine. Many people do an excellent job of faking optimism, so who is to say if genuine enthusiasm breeds greater success than false hope? Pessimism has no place in business, though you might reveal a little of it to your spouse or your best friends outside the office when times are particularly rough.
But optimism can get out of hand. Some exuberant types can’t be held down – they build their castles in the sky at the slightest glimmer of silver. They’ve got the money all spent even before there is any ink on the paper to dry.
Learn from famed nineteenth-century humorist Don Marquis when he advises you to monitor yourself. Stay optimistic, but don’t spend the previous ore until you’ve taken it to the mint.
