PMS: Positive Mental State

Maxwell D. Skynard
Conrtibuting Author

Friday, August 25, 2006

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It is amazing what a positive mental attitude can accomplish.

This past week I saw a dealer group make amazing progress in their Internet Marketing efforts simply by putting their attention where it belonged – producing results.

I would love to tell you how our technology saved the day and how great we are, but, in the end, it was the people that made things happen – not the software. Of course, technology helps, but saying that any technology company can make you a star is a lot like saying tennis shoes can make you a Michael Jordan or a bicycle can make you a Lance Armstrong. In spite of all the technical jargon and marketing hype, ultimately it is you as a person that makes things happen.

So with that in mind, I would like to spend a few minutes bringing us back into perspective and celebrating an often overlooked attribute – positive mental attitude.

It’s a Brain Thing.

One of the biggest obstacles we face in creating a positive mental attitude is overcoming our negative emotions. Let’s face it, if we only did what we wanted to do none of us would move any metal, our front yards would look like jungles and we’d all have bodies like sumo wrestlers. However, simply put, success requires that we keep our emotions in check.

Did you know that we were never intended to make decisions with our emotions? Although we all sometimes fall into this trap, it is our brains that ultimately run the show. A wise man once said, “Show me a person’s emotions and I will tell you what they are thinking”.

This point can be illustrated by performing a simple exercise. Pretend that I am going to count to 3 and snap my fingers. When I do – try to become instantly and bitterly angry. Ready? What happened? Chances are you automatically tried to think about or relive something that made you angry. Here’s the point. Your emotions follow your thoughts so if you want to keep a positive mental attitude keep your thoughts in the right place.

“The difference between a successful person and a non-successful person is not a lack of knowledge, nor a lack of skill but rather a lack of will.”

Focus on “Great”.

If you haven’t bought the book “Good To Great” yet, then do it. It’s full of good stuff. I can’t possibly summarize the entire book in one paragraph but the basic premise is this: Many potentially great organizations (and people) fail to reach their potential because they settle for “good”. Relying on natural talent or personality can get many of us to meet our minimum sales quotas. However, if we want the satisfaction of knowing we are the best, then we have to push ourselves harder. One writer put it like this: “success favors the well prepared mind.” Success often breeds confidence and confidence often accompanies a positive mental attitude. So when given the choice to settle for “good” or focus on “great” – go for the gold.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence.”

In closing, I remind you that much of life is a matter of perspective. We can choose to focus on the “Half Full” or “Half Empty” part of the proverbial glass, but it is ultimately up to us.

“Those who shape the future are those who understand that better things are yet to come and that they themselves will help to bring them about.”

Vol 2, Issue 4

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