PSCY1000
Melissa Ryan
Capella University

Is the glass half full or half empty? Does every cloud truly have a silver lining? These are a few quotes that are as old as the ages. I have always found myself to look at the brighter and lighter side of every situation. I find that not dwelling on the negative or pondering on the downside keeps me in a better place and state of mind.

I recently took an optimism test administered, this test can be taken by anyone and found at www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu. Authentic Happiness is the homepage of Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of positive psychology, a branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical
The most recent experience would be trying to find funding for a new business. I originally had a partner in this endeavor. Keith. It seemed as though no matter where we turned who we asked, companies and banks we contacted, there was no hope of ever finding what we needed to get this business up and running. I was always the one whom told him to just hang in there, that the more we look the better our chances are of finding the right lender. After about 8 months of looking, Keith’s wife got fed up with hearing about our dream yet not seeing it happen and had other plans for them. She was very pessimistic about this from the start and finally was able to persuade Keith to move 3 states away. A mere 2 weeks after Keith had said his final goodbye, I got the call that a lender was willing to fund this idea and get the store started.

Dealing in the retail business there are so many factors that play into how business is going to be on any particular day. When I first started, business was overwhelming, people in all the time, the shelves where always stocked, new customers opening up an account every single day. After the newness wears off, you really have to depend on word of mouth and people choosing to shop with you over the competition. Business will be slow for two or three days at a time and I need to keep my optimism very high to get me through these days.