I read this book from the recommendation of a friend, and I am glad I did. Here are some of the notes I took while I was reading the book. They will help you change your attitude toward the outlook of life and become more optimistic.
Go ahead—believe in yourself. Have the courage and persistence to follow your dreams. And above all, never, never forget that … Attitude is Everything!
Think of your attitude as the mental filter through which you experience the world. Some people see the world through optimism (the glass being half full), while others see life through a filter of pessimism (the glass being half empty). Let me give some examples to explain the difference between a positive and negative attitude.
• The person with the negative attitude thinks, “I CAN’T.”
• The person with a positive attitude thinks, “I CAN.”
• The person with a negative attitude dwells on problems.
• The person with a positive attitude concentrates on solutions.
• The person with a negative attitude finds fault with others.
• The person with a positive attitude looks for the good in others.
• The person with a negative attitude focuses on what is missing.
• The person with a positive attitude counts their blessings.
• The person with a negative attitude sees limitations.
• The person with a positive attitude sees possibilities.
Recognize, however, that just because you have said things in the past, there is no reason to continue doing so blindly. While it takes discipline and vigilance to change your language, it is well worth the effort! So, from now on, consciously choose words that will point you toward your goals. Ask a friend to remind you when you slip.
Remember, it is up to you to speak in a way that will move you toward what you want in life. Therefore, use words that are consistent with the path you genuinely wish to be on … take action along those lines … and watch yourself begin to travel in that beautiful direction!
Complaints work against you in three ways:
- No one wants to hear negative news about your illness and problems.
- Complaining reinforces your pain and discomfort. So why keep replaying painful, negative memories?
- Complaining, by itself, accomplishes nothing and diverts you from the constructive actions you could be taking to improve your situation.
Consider yourself an immediate winner when you take the step and do the thing you fear. That is right. You are a winner by entering the arena and participating, regardless of the result. When you are gripped by fear and anxiety, it is usually because you are stepping out of your comfort zone.
You do not have to know how to achieve your goal at the outset. Sure, you will be better off if you have a plan of attack, but not every step does not have to be mapped out in advance.
Even with a commitment, everything will not be rosy on your path. Life will test you to see how serious you are about achieving your objective. Obstacles will arise. You will make mistakes and suffer disappointments and setbacks, some of which may be severe and even tempt you to abandon your goal.
That is when it becomes crucial to follow Winston Churchill’s sage wisdom: “Never, never, never give up.” Alternatively, the advice provided by James J. Corbett: “You become a champion by fighting one more round. When things are tough, you fight one more round.”
If you have committed to accomplishing a goal, you can overcome temporary defeats … and you will triumph!
It has been said that 90 percent of the people do not care about your problems … and the other 10 percent are glad you have them! Seriously though, all of us can cut down on our complaining. From now on, let us do ourselves and others a favour and make our conversations uplifting.
The people who do not complain very much (and those who speak positively) are a joy to be around. Decide to join that group—so people will not have to cross the street when they see you coming!
Instead, you must take control of your mental activity and think positively every day until it becomes a habit. Remember, it has to be your dominant thought pattern.
Take a moment to consider your dominant thoughts in the major areas of your life. Are they serving you … or holding you back?
A positive belief system is the starting point for achieving any goal. When your dominant belief is that you can achieve your goal, you begin taking the actions necessary to move in that direction.
Your Circumstances Reflect What You Have Been Thinking about. Face this fact: Your beliefs brought you to where you are today, and your thinking from this point forward will take you to where you will be in the future.
Your results in every area of your life reflect your deeply held thoughts about yourself.
And then, there is the matter of relationships. If you think you do not deserve much, you attract friends and partners who will not treat you very well. I will bet you know someone who always seems to go out with the “wrong” person. The last 29 people they went out with were wrong for them. Do you think this is a mere coincidence? Oh, no. A deeply held belief inside that individual attracts these people into their life.
Moreover, whether we are talking about finances, relationships or careers, the fact remains: If your thoughts do not change, your results will not change.
Change Your Thinking
Fortunately, there is exciting news. You CAN change your thoughts, thereby changing your results! Here is how. For starters, become aware of what you say to yourself all day. Each of us has an internal voice; in other words, we talk to ourselves! Too often, however, we say negative, critical, and self-limiting. Perhaps you think, “I can’t do this,” or “I always mess things up.” These thoughts work against you. Instead, repeat to yourself that you can and will accomplish your goal.
Nonstop action follows commitment—you must first be committed to something before you will persist in achieving it. Once you have committed to achieving your goal, you will follow through with relentless determination and action until you attain the desired result.
Positive thinking does not mean you will not have any more problems. Believe me; you will have plenty of setbacks along the way. However, if you continue to believe in yourself, take action, and persist, you will overcome those obstacles.
Remember, you are constantly moving in the direction of your dominant thoughts. Everything you achieve in your life flows from your thoughts and beliefs. Negative thinking yields negative results … and positive thinking produces positive results. Keep your attitude window clean and bright so positive thoughts can shine through.
It simply makes no sense to think negative thoughts … unless you want to get negative results. Moreover, I know you do not want that to happen.
So, from this point forward, choose your thoughts wisely and use this powerful principle to get fantastic results in your life!
Nevertheless, as you know, there comes a point when life starts throwing some dirt at our windows. Furthermore, here is what happens:
• Our windows get splattered by criticism from parents and teachers.
• Our windows get smudged by ridicule from peers.
• Our windows get smeared by rejection.
• Our windows get soiled by disappointments.
• Our windows get clouded by doubt.
The problem is that the dirt keeps building up, and many people need to learn about it. They continue to go through life with a filthy window. They lose their enthusiasm. They get frustrated and depressed. Furthermore, most tragically, they give up on their dreams because they failed to clean their attitude window.
Granted, some devastating things may have happened to you. You may have endured much suffering. You may be going through some tough times right now. Nevertheless, even under the worst circumstances, I still contend that you can choose your attitude. I am not saying it is easy. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the choice is yours.
WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK ABOUT.
Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right!
— HENRY FORD
Without a positive attitude, you cannot activate the other principles. Your success in life begins and ends with your attitude; our thoughts determine our actions. Here are the observations of a few great thinkers on this very point.
Nurture your mind with great thoughts. — Benjamin Disraeli
Napoleon Hill said: “What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”
The Bible contains numerous references to thinking, including these:
According to your faith, be it unto you. (Matthew 9:29)
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)
If you can believe, all things are possible. (Mark 9:23)
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.”
Robert Collier offered this insight: “There is nothing on earth you cannot have—once you have mentally accepted the fact that you can have it.”
Furthermore, finally, there are the famous words of Henry Ford, who said: “Whether you think you can —or think you cannot—you’re right!”
You can achieve your goal when you believe in yourself and keep your thoughts focused on the positive.
They can because they think they can. – Virgil