We can look at just about anything in life in one of two ways. Is the glass half empty or is it half full? Same glass, same amount of water, but one sees it half empty and another sees it half full. And even more interesting, we can look at the glass ourselves and see it half empty sometimes, and at other times, see it half full. These two attitudes often stem from our experiences.
In our lives, there are times that good things happen, and times that bad things happen. We have successful times and times of failure. We have easy times and hard times. We have times of laughter and times of sorrow. How do we look at those times – is the glass half empty or half full?
You may say, “That’s easy. Good times – half full. Bad times – half empty.” But it is not always that cut and dry.
In its simplest form, our life is an accumulation of experiences. And I base that statement on the definition of “experience” from Merriam Webster’s dictionary: “Something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through; the conscious events that make up an individual life.”
We may choose our experiences, or they may be thrust upon us. We may have experiences that surprise us or ones that we planned for a long time. Some experiences may not have turned out the way we wanted, and others are merely mundane repetitions. All these together have helped shape our outlook on life. If we never had any experiences, we would have no basis for our opinions. In addition, consider that all learning is an experience. Whether we learn from a book, or a teacher, or by doing – learning is something we experience.
I am ever amazed at how much of life is a cycle. Maybe everything?? Our experiences shape our outlook, and our outlook flavors our experiences. Negative experiences can foster a negative outlook. And a negative outlook can encourage negative experiences. It is a predictable cycle. And it works the exact same way on the positive side. So why not lean toward seeing the glass half full?
Our experiences are unique to each of us. Not the experiences themselves necessarily, because there are many experiences common to all of us. But because we all are different, the impact of those experiences is as individual as we are. For instance, we probably all went to school. But our school experiences may be wildly different! Even if we went to the same school at the same time, our experiences might be shared, but the outcome would not be identical because our perception and reception of those experiences are unique to each of us.
You can test this for yourself. Ask a friend or family member about an experience you shared with them. Listen to their description – chances are it will be different from yours. The experience is the same, but because your outlooks vary, the impact of the experience also varies.
All of this is to say that our experiences influence us, but they don’t have to control us. There is no doubt that experiences can affect us both positively and negatively, but we still determine whether we see our glass half empty or half full. When negative experiences come along, of course we will be upset. Experiences like sickness, loss, discouragement, or betrayal will hurt us, maybe even crush us. (We would not be human if they didn’t.) BUT we can face those experiences with a glass half full attitude if we try.
First and foremost, we must know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) God is always on our side. He is always ready, willing, and able to deliver us from the consequences of any negative experience. Remembering those things gives us the confidence we need to see our glass half full. That is not to say that we will never be hurt or sad – we live in an evil world. But it means that no matter what the world throws at us, we are never alone. God never leaves us nor forsakes us, and that’s a promise! God has and will rescue us. God can restore what needs restored. He can provide what needs provided. And He can heal what needs healed. Look at what He did for Job! “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…” (Job 42:12) Job suffered more than anyone I’ve ever known. Yet he remained fully committed to God, and he never stopped trusting that God would deliver him. That is surely seeing the glass half full!
There are many scriptures that we can claim in our minds to get us through difficult or painful experiences. We must find the ones that speak to our hearts and keep them continually in our thinking without wavering in our believing that they are true. When we do that, we can keep a glass half full attitude in any experience.
Now to be clear, I am not saying that our positive confession (glass half full) will prevent all negative experiences in our lives. But it will help us get through them. Difficult experiences can end up producing positive results. For example, my husband lost his job during the pandemic and was out of work for eleven months. But after that, he got his dream job! Why not face negative experiences with the expectation of a positive outcome? Another saying comes to mind, “turn lemons into lemonade.” This may involve patience, however! And as we practice this, we will see that we do not need to succumb to that negative cycle as noted above.
Another benefit of endeavoring to maintain a glass half full attitude, is that we won’t miss the positives when they come, and we won’t forget to be thankful for them. Have you ever had an experience that required you to do something that you did not want to do? Perhaps you had to move or change jobs and you weren’t prepared to make that change. Initially, you might have seen that experience as the glass half empty. But you ‘sucked it up’ and did what you needed to do. Then you began to see that the change had a positive outcome in your life. You see that the experience wasn’t so bad after all. And you can appreciate that outcome because you changed your mind to have a thankful positive, glass half full attitude.
When it comes to positive happy experiences, we don’t usually need to be reminded to see the glass half full. It’s axiomatic. But we may need to watch out for things like gloating, ungratefulness, selfishness, and pride. Those would be glass half empty attitudes and may end up undermining our happiness.
Have you ever noticed that people who seem to ‘have it all’ are sometimes unhappy? Or that the very wealthy are often greatly stressed? Or that those who have achieved fame are frequently troubled? This shows us that experiences themselves are not the answer to happiness. It still goes back to whether we see the glass is half empty or half full. You could have all the money in the world and if you see your glass half empty, you can be miserable. Or you could have very meager means and if you see your glass half full, you can be happy and content.
So, let’s endeavor the see our glass half full as often as possible. And if we are in a glass half empty experience, let’s not be afraid to ask God for help. Because with God’s help, a glass half empty experience can become not just a glass half full experience, but a glass overflowing one!
Note to my readers: God bless you fully! Thanks for reading!