Is your glass half full or half empty?

On a hot sunny day, you are sitting at a patio, reading a book. It is getting very hot. You reach down to a glass of water on the table. Then you notice it was half the glass. Now, would you see it as "half empty" or "half full"?

This is an expression used to find if you see a situation negatively or positively. What happens when we see the world as "Half empty"? No matter how much we make an effort, it is never enough and we get frustrated. During 15 years of my life in Canada, I spent so much energy to fill my glass by being like a native speaker. But my English was never good enough. My glass was always empty, only filled with frustration.

We tend to forget that we all start from "0" and walk step by step towards our goal. We just cannot wait to get "the final result". We forget to embrace how far we have come. This is one of many reasons why people give up on their goals.

Over 20 years ago, I could not speak a word of English. When I was 12, my sister took me to an English Conversation School to introduce me to her teacher. On the way to school, she told me that if he asked me "how are you?", I should say, "I am fine, thank you. And you?" We practiced. We got to the school, and I met her teacher. He then asked me the famous question with a great smile: "Oh, how are you?" Despite my 5 minutes of practice, I got so nervous and replied "How are you? " I could only hear them laughing, and I just wanted to run away.

Today, I can say more than "How are you?" People actually understand what I am talking about. Yes, my English is not perfect yet, but I have come a long way.

Instead of regretting how empty the glass is, celebrate how far you've come. What helped you fill your glass to where it is now? What steps are you going to take next to fill your glass a little bit more?