Have you ever run into an optimist? Most who do walk away energized, enthusiastic, motivated and, well optimistic. Now contrast that to pessimists. Pessimists sap you of your energy, enthusiasm, motivation and drag you down in life. They push you away and make you want to run for the hills.
By a wide margin, the millionaires in my study were inherently optimistic. Seventy-one percent were grateful and optimistic about life. Why is this important to success? It’s important because success doesn’t happen on its own. You need apostles for your cause. You need to surround yourself with people who believe in your dream, your goals and your cause. Optimists are like magnets, attracting other optimistic, success-minded people to them, making it possible for them to move their dreams and goals forward. Optimists have many brains at work helping them overcome obstacles and open doors, clearing the path and enabling them to succeed in life.
Pessimists, conversely, repulse people who could otherwise help them in life. As a result they are often left to their own resources, unable to marshall support for their dreams, goals or initiatives. Pessimists are limited to one brain in helping them succeed in life -their own. But even worse, their pessimism turns people they come into contact with from apostles to adversaries. Pessimists alienate others. These alienated individuals then become an army of human obstacles, fighting them at every turn.
Achieving success in life is hard. Optimism makes it less hard while pessimism makes it harder, if not impossible. Gratitude is the gateway to optimism. Envy is the gateway to pessimism. So if you’re struggling with pessimism, start by expressing gratitude every day for things you have and things that go your way. This will shift your mindset from negative to positive. Optimists succeed in life, while pessimists fail. Both mindsets are daily habits. Make optimism your daily habit and watch your life change.
About Thomas C. Corley
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