There is no glass: part 2
I blogged yesterday on the glass-half-empty worldview, and—strange but true—several people, without reading my blog or knowing I wrote it, used the half-empty glass to describe their situation! So I thought I’d say more about it.
Here’s an example of how the half-empty/half-full glass doesn’t help someone deal with a problem: imagine you hate your job. (Some of you might not have any trouble imagining that!) Your boss drives you crazy, or you don’t fit in with your co-workers, or your work is underwhelming (or overwhelming)…these are just a few of the reasons why someone would be unhappy at work. The last thing you need is a counselor telling you to be chipper about your situation!
If “there is no glass,” that means you can look at your job problem from lots of different angles. Your boss is driving you crazy? We can talk about how this situation can be an opportunity for you to develop better personal boundaries, or better strategies you can use when working with difficult people. Or we can talk about how you deal with authority, how you handle someone who has more control or power than you. Your job duties are beneath your abilities? We can look at this as a sign that you’re ready to do some career development work, or even think about switching careers. Or we can talk about how you can re-invest in your current work in a new or creative way. You don’t fit in with your co-workers? We can discuss friendships in your life, or the concept of friendship itself, and how you can find ways to get closer to these people in your daily life, and get to know them better.
This is just one example of how counseling can take you in lots of different directions. If you feel “chipper” about something in your life, great! But counseling is about more than that—more than just adopting a positive attitude. It’s about your own growth and development. It’s about how you can make real changes in your life, and find deeper satisfaction in your career and relationships.
