Great American Success Story: power of positive thinking

Showing posts with label power of positive thinking. Show all posts

Friday, March 5, 2021

Habitual Optimism - What my dog taught me about positive thinking.

Sparky likes to run!

Whenever I get ready to let my dog, Sparky, out to the backyard, she is ready to move the moment the door opens. She's always optimistic and seems to be thinking, “There could be something out there that’s going to be fun to chase. Maybe a cat! Maybe a squirrel! Something could be out there!” She never seems concerned that the big dog next door might have gotten over the fence again and could be out there waiting for her.

When that door opens, she is gone, almost instantly, to the back fence to take a look. Most of the time there isn’t anything back there. Still, she knows that every time the door opens, there just might be. And, when she comes back in the house, she always checks the front door, just in case someone might have left it open so she could go for an exhilarating run off the leash. She’s a whippet/Jack Russell mix, and would never pass up a chance to run at full throttle.

Is some fantastic opportunity going to present itself to me every time I go out my front door? Probably not. However, if I go through the day thinking something great might be just around the corner, which is the way Sparky thinks, I’m going to be ready when opportunities do arise.

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Who has inspired you with a positive attitude? How can you develop a similar outlook on life? Leave a comment.

Related reading on positive thinking.

Switching from negative to positive thinking.

Positive Assumptions.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Prepare Your Mind for Success

A recent outing to Brown's Creek.

Do you see the future as a time when good things might happen, or as a time when good things will happen?

Preparation is one of the keys to a successful fishing trip. A fisherman needs to check many things before setting out.

Gear, bait, and license. You need to make sure everything works, and that you have hooks and a knife and the right bait.

Weather and up to date fishing reports. It’s good to be aware of the tides, what species are hitting and where, etc.

Knowledge of fishing regulations. There are lots of rules. Keep the wrong fish and you could end up with a big fine.

When I was getting ready for a recent outing, my wife suggested that I bring some ice to cool whatever I caught. I told her that I could get ice at the pier if I caught something.

Her attitude and mine were subtly different. She was thinking I would catch something and I was thinking I might catch something. I decided to pack some ice.

Have you laid the necessary groundwork to succeed? Are you mentally prepared for success? What will it take to make the shift in your thinking?

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Also, if you have an insight on how to become more positive in your thought life, please leave a comment.

Murphy's Law Breaker: Positive Thinking for Pessimists, has some of Danny’s humorous and inspirational writings. It’s on Kindle and you can get a free Kindle app if you don’t have one. Check it out at Amazon.com.

More articles on Positive Thinking.

The Power of Positive Memories.

Switching from negative thinking to positive.

Shaking down the highway with positive assumptions.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Positive Positioning - Right Place, Right Time.

It's nice to be in the right place at the right time.
The day I got this pic was one of those times in my life.

By the time I turned twenty I was making a living and renting a place of my own. After finishing my first two years of college, I didn’t have the resources or the time to continue. There were bills to be paid. I started a small business moving and repairing waterbeds. The money was OK, but the work was tough on my back.

After a few years, I began taking classes part-time at the University of North Florida. Fellow students joked that U.N.F. stood for, "You never finish," and it did seem like it would take forever. One day I got a call from a customer in a gated community who needed my services. It was Adam Herbert, the new President at U.N.F.

While I worked, I told him I was working towards a degree one class at a time. He encouraged me to stick with it. As I was wrapping up, he told me to let him know if there was anything he could do to help me in my educational pursuits.

I had already thought through what I would ask for if the opportunity arose. I said, “Mr. Herbert, if you have any scholarship money laying around, I could use some.”

He asked me what my GPA was. I had about a 3.5. He told me who to talk to in Financial Aid. Within a month I had enough scholarship money to go full-time. It only took a few semesters to finish.

At least three important elements came into play for getting that scholarship.

I had a respectable GPA which qualified me for the kind of scholarship Mr. Herbert could nudge forward.
I did a good job for my customer. Otherwise he certainly wouldn’t have offered to be helpful.
I was in a positive frame of mind, ready to ask for something when the opportunity to do so arose.

Occasionally, when you ask for something, you might actually receive it. However, the groundwork has to be in place and you have to be ready. Faithfulness in small things can put you into position to ask and receive.

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What are some of the small things in life that people can do to position themselves for positive opportunities? What has worked in your life? If you have a tip or a suggestion, leave it in the comments.

More on Positive Thinking

Habitual Optimism

Prepare your mind for success

Positive Assumptions

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Shaking Down the Highway with Positive Assumptions

Vasquez Rocks, CA

During a trip to Los Angeles, I rented an SUV from Fox Rental Cars. The drive to my destination was about two hours. By the time I got there, I could tell something was wrong with the steering. It wasn’t bad enough to make the driving dangerous. There was just an unusual shakiness which was very annoying.

I only needed the car for a week. Even though I knew I could change to another vehicle, I didn’t want to waste my limited time driving back downtown. In L.A. traffic, going back and forth would have taken half a day.

My shoulder started to ache on the second day and the pain got progressively worse. I’ve had considerable experience with pain and it soon got to a point where I literally could not shrug it off. I obviously needed another vehicle. When I called Fox, the service rep told me, “No problem. We’ll get another vehicle out to your address and pick up the one you have.”

I had assumed that I would have to blow several hours driving to the city in legendary L.A. traffic, changing out the vehicle, and then fighting the traffic a second time driving back. Instead, a vehicle was delivered to my door in a matter of hours. All I had to do was ask.

Anticipation isn’t always a good thing. When making a negative assumption, if at all possible, test it. You might find out you’re wrong.

Can you think of a time when you had negative anticipation and got what you expected? Can you see the value in having positive assumptions? Leave a message in the comments section.

If you liked this post, you might also like some of Danny's ebooks. Check them out on his Amazon page.

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More articles on Positive Thinking

Habitual Optimism

The Mind Garden

Positive Mindset

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Laughter is the Best Therapy

Brian King

A few years ago I wanted to check out a seminar called Habits of Happy People. However, I wasn’t getting enough work at the time and I didn't feel like I could afford it. I’ve done quite a bit of event photography and it occurred to me that I could try to trade event shots for admission.

For most of my life, negative thinking has been the norm. When I was in comedy my best schtick revolved around Murphy's Law. I told lots of, "You might be a Murphy if..." jokes.

If I had been in a negative thinking mode when I thought of bartering for admission to the seminar, the positive idea would soon have been followed by a thought like, “That will never work. Don't even bother.”

Fortunately, I had started implementing some positive thinking techniques and I was in a positive frame of mind. “This could work,” I told myself.

The speaker was Brian King, a comedian/psychologist. His motto is, “Comedy is rarely painless.” Oh yeah! I contacted him and he liked the idea of getting some fresh pictures. He agreed to my proposal.

The seminar was excellent. Laughter is the best therapy! I would recommend Brian’s seminars to anyone who is looking for ways to be happier and have a more positive outlook on life.

Has laughter ever helped you to get through a tough time? Share your experience int he comments section.

Have you ever ignored one of your own good ideas? When you think of something positive, pay attention. It might open doors in your life.

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Further Reading

How to tell jokes

Remedial Sensitivity

Make America Laugh Again

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Defective shoes can sometimes be a perfect fit.

I once bought a pair of walking shoes off the clearance rack at a shoe store I had never been to before. It was a nice store with some of the better brands.The walking shoes were a perfect fit and the price was right at $80.

Within two weeks I noticed a spot where the side of the shoe was separating a bit. It was an insignificant cosmetic flaw. I went back to the shoe store to see if they would do anything about the shoes. While the salesman conferred with the manager, I tried on another pair of shoes from the clearance rack. They fit perfectly.

When the salesman returned, he offered me a choice of either a full refund or $60 if I wanted to keep the shoes. I liked the shoes so I took the second option and applied the refund to the pair I had just tried on.

I ended up paying $120 for two pairs of shoes that had previously retailed for well over $300. The way I was treated made me a customer for life. Why would I go anywhere else?

If I had been in a pessimistic thinking mode I never would have gone back to that store because I would have assumed that nothing good would come of it.

A positive outlook makes many things possible.

Have you ever had an experience where something wasn't quite right and it worked out very well in the end? Leave a comment.

If you found this post useful, share it with your friends and colleagues. The sharing buttons are below.

You can find more of my writings in my ebooks, including Murphy's Law Breaker: Positive Thinking for Pessimists. Check it out.

More articles on Positive Thinking.

Habitual Optimism

Positive Positioning

The Mind Garden

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Switching from Negative Thinking to Positive

Florida Dream Home with open floor plan.

When my thinking goes negative, it can be difficult to shift gears. It’s like mental inertia. Thinking in motion tends to stay in motion, whether it’s revolving in a negative direction or a positive one. There’s no switch on the back of my neck to go from negative to positive. However, I have found that scripting a positive thought into my mind works a lot like a switch.

For example, if I’m anxious about a meeting or some event that’s coming up, my mind might bring up all the things that could go wrong. To change that, I handwrite affirmations like this: “I will speak well and present my ideas effectively. I will be able to handle whatever challenges this event presents to me.”

Although I’m capable of presenting well and handling challenges, I occasionally need to remind myself of that. The process is simple and it works because it engages several of the senses.

Coming up with a positive thought to write down is the beginning of a change in direction.

My brain instructs my hand to write that thought down.

As the positive thought appears on paper, my eyes are observing.

To nail the thought down more firmly, I read the thought out loud.

My lips are moving and my ears are hearing.

Instead of trying to think myself into a new attitude, several parts of my body are working together to produce a positive thought. Also, the thought is recorded by several of my senses including sight, hearing, and even touch through the actual writing.

I’ve written about this process in Words of Destiny which is available on Kindle. If you're interested, the preview on Amazon outlines many of the key ideas. Also, if you read on Kindle, the book is set up for free download through Sunday, January 3, 2016.

For more good ideas on positive thinking, check out this excellent blog post by Kristen Lamb. Life on Purpose—What to Do When Dreams & Goals Fizzle.

If you got something out of this post, share it with your friends. The sharing buttons are below.

If you've found an effective way to shift from negative to positive thinking, you can leave a comment about that.

Related articles.

Habitual Optimism.

Murphy's New Revelation.

Positive Assumptions.