How Is Your Attitude?

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right”.

I'm sure many of you have heard the expression, attitude is everything. Attitude might not be everything but it is definitely important, especially right now. Now it is simply your attitude and mentality that will give you the edge over others who are trying to prosper in this highly volatile economy. Most people are intelligent enough to know that this statement is true. Some people reading this may argue that a positive attitude doesn't always work. Maybe not always but I know one thing for sure, negative thoughts and attitudes seldom work to your advantage!

Once I was told, “An optimist is someone who tells you to cheer up when things are going his way”. If you are reading this blog times may be difficult and you want serious answers to important questions such as, how can my family profit in this environment? There are many answers to this question.


Maintain a Positive Attitude Assuming a Negative Result

In other words be prepared for the worst case scenario while at the same time moving forward to get the best possible result. This will take the mental pressure off and allow you to focus on getting the job done. This approach, I believe, allows you to be positive and realistic in your mental assessment.

If it Bleeds, it Leads

There’s an old expression in the media business, “If it bleeds, it leads.” The media loves to cover negative news more than positive because it sells better. When the economy is in turmoil and The Gulf of Mexico is filling up with BP Oil the media loves to run these negative headlines to keep reminding people how bad things are. When people hear the bad news, it affects them by creating fear which then creates worry thus creating a negative thought process.

Is the media simply reporting the news or does it actually affect future news in this regard? The answer is obviously both. The media reporting negative news alone can’t shape reality. Or can it? Perception often is a persons reality, with the constant bombardment of negative news from the media an environment of a self fulfilling prophecy can occur.

But are things really as bad as the media reports? Let's take a topic I know a little about, foreclosures. When you hear that foreclosures have doubled or even tripled this may sound catastrophic at first until you realize that the vast majority of homes (90% or more, depending on the local market) are NOT in foreclosure.

Fear

Many people reading this are prone to inaction because of fear. Remember, it’s not a matter of doing everything perfectly, but putting forth your best effort. A lot of effort at a “C” level beats doing less things at an “A” level. Don't let today's fear rob you of tomorrows great opportunities!