Be Positive – It Will Lead You To Happiness

I am often asked to what I attribute achieving what I have up to this point. The question is typically posed in the form of, “What do you attribute to your success?” It’s an awkward question for me, because I feel I have a lot more to do before I arrive at success. But I know what they are getting at, and it’s really not about achievements; it’s about attitude and frame of mind. I think the key thing that propels me on all fronts is the optimism I possess. I guess you could say it’s in my blood (it actually is, my blood type is B positive).

My approach is to bring optimism to every day and to everything I attempt. I do not want to get all ideological on you, but the reality is that you are the reason for every outcome in your life, and whether it is viewed as positive or negative is in your hands. When you let perceived negative factors affect you in a bad way, it will, for certain, bring you down and lead you to unhappiness. When you face those same factors with the attitude that they will not get the best of you, it will alter how you approach solving the problem to get you back to where you want to be.

Let me be perfectly clear here: thinking nice thoughts is not the solution to your problems. I am not saying that if you always think positively then nothing bad will happen to you. I am certain of two things in life: good and bad are going to happen to you throughout the course of time. Nothing you do will stop either, but how you embrace them will lead you to a more peaceful and fulfilling existence. No matter how good you are, no matter how nice you treat people, bad crap is going to happen to you. On the flip side, no matter how nasty you are, and how awful you approach life, good things will be there for you as well.

The difference is that when you encounter the good, if you have a positive attitude, it will be all that much better; just the opposite happens if you are a miserable human being. The same is true in business. If you approach your mission with a solid plan and a “can-do” attitude, there is more likelihood that you will succeed than you would with a solid plan and a bad attitude. Throughout my career, I have seen very smart people fail because they doubted their course of action when, in fact, it was only the doubt that caused them to stumble, not their direction. I’ve seen others with mediocre talent, like myself, achieve accomplishments again and again, not because we were smarter than others or had a better plan, but due to sheer determination and optimism. These are the type of people who, whenever they put their mind to something, typically arrive at their goals.

It’s important to not get caught up in the outside forces trying to knock you down. It’s important to not focus on the failed attempts. Everyone fails. Some of the greatest visionaries and inventors failed quite often before making a difference. Their perseverance and optimism on achievement propelled them to success. I always try to approach all that I do in the same way. The positive view makes everything clearer. What we set our minds to may not always happen in the time frame that is expected, but it typically does happen, just as long as we don’t give up. How you approach what is thrown at you will determine the outcome. Bad will happen. Obstacles will occur. People will suck. Don’t let negativity creep in. How you feel and what you achieve depends on your optimistic outlook. Be positive, it will lead you to accomplishments, and it will also lead you to happiness.