We were talking about the Positive Optimist last week. It is the ideal place to be for your current attitude and your overall outlook if you want to move forward and grow. So what happens in the times we cannot find the positive view of a situation or the optimistic outlook for our future and what can we do about it.

Have you ever known someone who always seems to have bad luck? No matter what great thing they may be doing, the worst always seems to happen to them. I used to think that these people got more than their fair share of bad occurrences, but then one day when my engine blew up in my car I saw the difference.

My first statement was, “wow, I am so glad I was not on the highway when this happened”. Everything with this event was positive. I had a mechanic that could get me an engine that only had 62,000 km on it, I did not have to travel for business during this period, I had another vehicle and people that would work with me when I was without a car. Brian, my husband, and I discussed this and realized the same event was happening to a friend. They had similar opportunities, but they treated it differently and their experience was painful to listen to. So much blaming and nagging.

Ground Rules

Positive does not mean supportive it means you are looking at the best side of whatever the situation is that is unfolding around you. The “glass half full” view.

Optimistic does not mean a successful outcome, it means you understand the circumstances, you have weighed the risks, and you have a reasonable expectation of how a situation will unfold.

With the person that is a Negative Pessimist there is no positive or good side to the event and there is no perceived outcome that will work to make things better or can be used in future work.  It is a “fail before you start” attitude.

Negative Pessimist

There is no value in this mindset. While in this mindset you have no perceived future with an outcome that will lead to a success. If you cannot see the path that will lead you to success you cannot get there. With your mind shut to a positive outcome you will also likely miss opportunities that are always occurring.

The final result is a negative business growth which will culminate in the loss of money. The people that you will attract to your business and your circles will help you stay in this mindset because they will be willing to capitulate your circumstances and validate the blame.

To make a change, take 100% responsibility for your circumstance, don’t  complain about where you are but look for how you can change it and find people that will bring you up with them. These people will only help you if you are not dragging them down, so you must change your outlook and look for the things that can make a difference in your life.

This shift is not easy and you will not be able to do it alone. If the people you currently surround yourself with are always putting up blocks to your success, make time to share your ideas with people that can see past the blocks to the final outcome.

Often the only thing we can control in our lives is our response to the things that happen to us. Those people that respond positively, surround themselves with positive, forward-thinking people, and expect a good outcome for their efforts can accomplish so much more than those people that choose not to.