Last month, I announced that my 2009 New Year's resolution is to be more optimistic, and I'm really trying.
Yet every day when I turn on the TV, there is a drip-drip-drip of downward spiraling economic news. I can't help but feel anxious for my wife and me, our friends and family -- and angry at the people who got us into this mess. And I wonder -- when will it end?
Last week the Bureau of Economic Data stated that the U.S. gross domestic product shrank at an annual rate of 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the worst decline since the first quarter of 1982 when it shrank at 6.4 percent. The International Monetary Fund is projecting the rate of world growth to be only half a percent in 2009, the lowest rate in 60 years.
So with all the bad news, how is it possible to stay optimistic? Here's how I’m doing it:
1 - Finding inspiration. It helps me that Frito-Lay's CEO, Al Carey, is a firm believer in the power of optimism. To inspire us, he recently had Erik Weihenmayer, the only blind man in history to climb Mount Everest, speak to employees at a company meeting. We received a copy of Erik's book, "The Adversity Advantage," and reading it is truly inspirational, and helps put other things in perspective.
It also helps to receive good news about Frito-Lay. For example, Tina Mahal, Brand Manager on Tostitos, tells me that the 2009 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, where Texas defeated Ohio State 24 21, received FOX's highest rating ever for a BCS Bowl Game. Tostitos also gave $250,000 in scholarship awards to students attending the University of Texas and Ohio Sate University, as part of the brand's Race to the Bowl contest.
And, she said that Tostitos Scoops Hint of Jalapeno, which launched early this year, is receiving strong, positive consumer reaction. Again, more inspiration.
2 - Holding the conviction that when you stay optimistic, good things happen. Recently, I was designated as the project leader for a major business meeting for leaders of PepsiCo (Frito-Lay’s parent company) from around the world. We only had 90 days to pull together a rather complex series of business presentations and discussions. I kept telling myself to stay calm and be optimistic -- and it worked. The approach was infectious among our planning team, and the meeting was a big success.
During the meeting, PepsiCo's CEO, Indra Nooyi, painted an inspirational vision for the company, relevant to our corporate mission of "Performance with Purpose." Essentially, we can -- and we will -- find a long-term balance between Performance -- what it takes to be an innovative company -- and Purpose -- staying true to our commitment to environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and talent sustainability.
3 - Maintaining a long-term view of the world. It sounds a bit geeky, but in one of the world's greatest books, Homer's "The Illiad," the lesson is that through suffering comes wisdom. So as I tough out these tough times, with my anxiety and anger, I must be optimistic that when we come out of it, we'll be a wiser nation and world.
These three pieces of advice are helpful for me -- and hopefully for you -- to stay optimistic even in economic uncertainty. But as I think about it, there may be a fourth, and most important -- turn off CNN and go for a bike ride. So, tell me, what are you doing to stay optimistic in these tough economic times?
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