Sixth quality: A
positive outlook on life
No doubt you will
be sick to death of experts telling you to be positive. We make no apology that
the lecture will be repeated here because being positive or negative will be the
difference between financial growth or mediocrity.
Someone who
exhibits a positive outlook, will focus on the benefits and the opportunities in
any situation.
Take for example,
someone coming from a disadvantaged background, say the A p slums of New York.
In order to rise above and out of the slums they must have an Thc extremely
positive outlook: “I will get out of this situation no matter how many setbacks
I receive and no matter what prejudice is imposed on me”.
On the other hand,
someone in the same situation with a negative or indifferent attitude may
say: “I haven’t got any money, I am not educated; there is no way I can compete
against those people that have all of these things”.
As another
illustration consider what you would do if you were an employer faced with the
problem of dismissing an ineffective employee. A positive approach would be to
discuss the matter with the person, discussing his or her interests, abilities,
and ambitions and then work with them to find more suitable employment In this
way the person is not fifed but assisted. The negative approach would be
immediate dismissal, leaving the person in a state of uncertainty and dejection.
By positively assisting others, you will not only achieve your objectives with
personal pride, but you will develop warm friendships along the way.
Being positive
does not necessarily mean saying “fantastic!” when someone casually asks “how
are you today?”
A positive outlook
is obviously an essential ingredient for achievement in life!
There are a number of ways to reinforce positive
thoughts:
Repetition.
Remember when you were at school your teacher made you write “lines” as a
penalty. Do you recall laboring over 100 lines “I must not talk in class”, “I
must not forget to do my homework”. The repetition of the idea was meant to
condition the child to believe the idea. During the war it was called
brainwashing, today it is euphemistically termed “mental conditioning”.
Whatever the term, it works. With spaced repetition, an idea or concept will
gradually be accepted and adopted by your subconscious. It will manifest itself
in your behavior. If you say to yourself, over and over again “I can do
anything, I am as good as anyone else, I will be successful” you will slowly
begin to believe it and your actions will reflect that belief. Condition
yourself in this positive way.
Be encouraged by
the success stories of others; imagine yourself as one of the successes. Begin
reading about successful people; their struggles and the reasons for their
success. I am sure you will empathies with their experiences and recognize many
of your own struggles.
Don’t worry if you
have a series of failures. Consider your mistakes as learning experiences, and
your attempts as progress. There are no such things as problems; merely
obstacles to be overcome while moving towards your target
Remain an
apprentice all your life; don’t close your mind: There are literally hundreds of
money making opportunities around you but they will not be seen as such unless
you are prepared to approach them in a positive way.
Visualization and positive affirmations. If
you waiver in your determination then try to visualise the benefits. See
yourself enjoying the rewards that await you.
Assume you set
yourself an annual income target of say RM50,000, which you have estimated to be
your threshold of independence. Your plan is to own eight flats freehold - eight
flats at say RM1000 per month will generate the RM96,000 per year you desire.
Start by visualizing two blocks of four flats each. Let this be your burning
desire; you can “see exactly what you want to achieve. The visualization will
dominate your thinking and you will interpret events in the context of achieving
your goal.
We all practice
this technique to some extent, children particularly so. They visualize a toy
and nag, pester, sulk, scream, cry, laugh, burp and even more, until they get
it. Their behavior is led by the visualization.
Reinforce your
visualizations with positive affirmations. Affirmations may include pictures,
photographs or anything at all that helps to symbolize the benefits of achieving
the goals you have set yourself.
We recall an
example of a couple who, starting with nothing, set a goal and made a promise to
themselves to have a new Jaguar XIS within two years. Given the car would cost
over RM200,000 this was some goal and something most people only ever dream
about!
But not only did
they dream about the car, they reinforced their dreams with positive
affirmations. Penniless, they test drove a showroom XIS. As they sped down the
motorway they savored the car’s power, they touched and smelt the fine leather,
they listened to the engine purr; they even posed as each took photographs of
the other next to the car.
Their desire was
so strong they knew they would have a car exactly like the one they were
experiencing. Because they touched, smelt, saw and heard the car, their dream
was now an experience rather than a vague idea. To keep this experience and
their desire alive they placed the photographs they had taken in conspicuous
places all around their home. On each photograph was written a date - the future
date by which the desire would become a reality.
Like people
possessed, the couple did achieve their goal and within the two years they had
given themselves, by taking advantage of an opportunity in sales and marketing;
although that is another story and not relevant to the point being made.
Seventh Quality:
Clearly defined goals
The very top
achievers have clearly defined written goals.
The importance of
goal setting cannot be overstated. By setting and writing down goals, you will
have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. You will crystallize your
thinking so that you can clearly “see” the benefits. If you set yourself a
deadline by which time you want to reach your target then you will have created
an urgency that forces you to organize your time, effort and resources. With
your thoughts expressed in writing, you will have a much deeper commitment to
following through your ideas.
Don’t change your
goals because at first you do not succeed. Everyone makes mistakes, some costly,
others merely embarrassing. But gain strength from your setbacks and become more
determined to succeed. A person with a positive outlook will see mistakes as
part of a process of elimination. Just as it is almost impossible to guess the
answer to a “Whodunit?” mystery without first eliminating many of the suspects,
it is unrealistic for you to expect to find the best money making formula at
your first attempt.
The hobby game
maker may set a goal “i will sell my game to a publisher”, or the writer “I will
work on my book until I know in my own mind that it is good enough for a
publisher to accept.” Both will probably encounter setbacks, but these will not
deter someone with faith in their own abilities and the resolve to complete what
they had set out to do.
Eighth quality:
Action (You have to make up your mind)
Winners not only
think and plan, but they actually do it! Remember that even a turtle must stick
its neck out to make progress.
Action is
something that you will need to take if you are to do more than simply dream of
financial success. The best way to overcome fear is to do whatever you fear.
Assuming you survive, you will have the courage to take on greater challenges.
There are a series of hurdles to overcome, but if you shy away from one your
race is effectively over.
If you develop
these eight qualities listed above, you will certainly have the right attitude
to succeed. Without a doubt, the greatest obstacle that prevents us from
achieving our goals is the limitation we place upon ourselves. Truly, there is
no limit to what you can achieve.
Set yourself an
immediate personal goal to develop these traits - they are critical to your
success. The “right” attitude does not demand extreme, nor deviant behavior.
The right attitude simply gives activities a purpose and direction.
