A theme has been coming up in my conversations with people this week. For whatever reason, conversations have moved in the direction of the difference between looking at a glass half full and half empty. As we talked, I realized something I’ve known before, but never experienced quite so clearly. When you fill a glass halfway, whether you look at it as half full or half empty, it has exactly the same amount of liquid in it, regardless of which way you look at it. Whichever point of view you take, nothing changes about the reality of the contents of the glass. What does matter is the way in which you perceive and interpret what is there. Neither side is denied, neither is taken as the only point of view. Both exist, both are real. It’s a matter of choice which side becomes the primary point of view you hold.

As I’ve mentioned in earlier experiments, research shows that an optimistic state of mind is healthier for your mind-body being, with an important benefit including enhanced immune function. Given what we now understand about the importance of seeing what’s going right in life, the following experiment offers an opportunity to support a health-promoting perspective.

Learning to see the glass half full becomes a habit over time and, even as you continue to take action on things that need to be changed, you can discover how many moments emerge during a day that support the fact that there are many good things happening all around you. Given the state of the world at this point, it might be useful to know that we can focus on what’s going right without having to deny what’s going wrong. It’s a matter of emphasis. And so, for the coming week, allow yourself to notice what’s beautiful in your world, where people are helping one another and showing signs of goodwill.

Also, some time to allow yourself to feel the difference in your body when you focus on the glass that’s half full. What sensations emerge when you experience the perspective of possibility? Then, notice what happens when you think of the glass as half empty. What emerges in your body with this perspective? Notice how focusing on possibility moves in the direction of opening, while focusing on what’s not working tends to generate constriction. Becoming familiar with the sensations of each of these perspectives can support your ability to choose to shift from constriction to opening to your world, from half empty to half full.

As with all the experiments, have fun with this one. Enjoy discovering the difference you notice in your internal dialogue and the tone of your daily experience as you explore the half-full and half-empty points of view.

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