When someone asks you how you genuinely feel about yourself, what thoughts first come to your mind? Do you instinctively think about your shortcomings and failures, or do you think about your worth and potential? Your view of yourself affects your development. When you focus on your potential, you foster vision and motivation for growth. When you expect positive outcomes, you will be more inclined to work for and get them. If you motivate employees and create an environment where they want to succeed, they will be more likely to do so. If you have positive expectations, they will strive to live up to them. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and help them become what they’re capable of being.”

When you see life positively, you will be in a stronger position to ward off the negative influences that constantly bombard you. You will be able to set your goals and sustain your efforts to achieve them. Take an inventory of your internal attitudes. Listen closely to your dialogue with yourself. You will become increasingly aware of the many negative thoughts that you may entertain on a daily basis.

Be conscious of your thoughts and make a commitment to change those negative thoughts into positive commitments. Just as you exercise your body to make it healthy, exercise your mind with positive thoughts that begin with “I can” and “I will.” You have no doubt encountered people who move forward through life with vigor and enthusiasm. They seem to possess an indefinable quality that propels them over and around obstacles. They don’t get discouraged, and they don’t indulge in self-doubt or self-pity. That quality is a positive view of life. You can almost hear them saying aloud to themselves, “I can” and “I will,” and as a result they do!

Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has been the first choice among business partners for creating successful business consultants and coaches. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.

How would you rate your level of optimism? When asked, “Would you consider yourself an optimistic or pessimistic person?” most people would answer, “Optimistic, of course!” Are you really? A great many attitudes, behaviors, and actions you witness in the world around you are often more negative than positive, pessimistic rather than optimistic.

I was driving back to the office today from an appointment when a black blazer turned left through and into oncoming traffic and missed hitting me by inches. Thankfully I caught him in my peripheral vision and was able to defensively swerve in order to get out of his way. We both proceeded safely. My first reaction was not to have the “inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events, or to anticipate the best possible outcome” as Webster defines optimism. My first reaction was of anger and annoyance.

As I proceeded to my destination I was pondering my reaction and thought to myself, what if he truly did not see me? There was a passenger in the blazer and they were talking, so there is the possibility that he just did not see me. His responsible driving skills are a subject for another discussion; however, I really don’t believe people get in their car and drive through life with the intention of having an accident. Accidents are just too inconvenient for all involved. So I decided to focus on the fact that maybe he didn’t see me, nothing happened, and all is good—take a positive approach.

But you know as well as I, so many people can have an incident like an “almost car accident” affect their attitude and their optimistic view toward the world and others. It is so easy to focus on the negative, the bad, or the wrong that it becomes all consuming.

I was early to a staff meeting the other day and there was general chitchat going on before the meeting started. One woman started talking about the weather and since it is November in Pennsylvania snow can be part of the forecast. The weather folks were calling for the possibility of snow showers in the areas of higher elevation that evening. The woman sitting next to her voiced her immediate reaction, “I hate snow! I hate everything about snow!” The intensity with which she made those comments confirmed without a doubt her hate for snow.

Pessimism is a state of mind, which negatively colors the perception of life. We spend so much time being pessimistic about things that we cannot control, that we literally give away our ability to be optimistic about what we can control. Having an optimistic attitude and view on life is a choice, and sometimes based on the world around us it can literally be a minute-by-minute choice. We are bombarded with so much negativity that it is easy to slip into the status quo of negativity. I challenge you to not accept the status quo, take control, and choose to be optimistic. You will see measurable results personally and professionally when you make the shift!

Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.

We are in the midst of some very interesting times that carry with them a bit of chaos and a bit of uncertainty. You only have to look to national news to find proof of our ever-changing country and world. Gas prices have hit an all time high, the economy has been rocked with recent turmoil, and the 2008 presidential election campaign journey never failed to surprise, amaze, and for some voters even disappoint.

As you talk with people about the state of the union or listen to any newsanchor, the comments do not reflect a very rosy picture. Our individual frustration is further compounded by the belief system that “ … there is nothing I can do about it.” This is where I believe that Ms. Angelou hit the nail on the head. These universal issues are tough to change by one individual; however, if you can’t change it, then change your attitude. Learn to embrace the changes and do so by changing your attitude toward them.

Highly successful people exhibit an impeccable attitude of positive behavior and they do not let anything stand in their way—circumstances they control or circumstances beyond their control. Attitude is a state of mind and if you are focusing your life on the negative, you will experience negative results. Focusing your attitude on the positive will naturally force you to take positive action, and positive action will lead to far better outcomes. Take some of the bigger issues we see in the news today. As a “power of one” you may not be able to change the price of gas, but you can trade in the gas guzzling SUV you own for a more affordable and fuel efficient hybrid. You may be affected by the economic conditions, but you can combat them and strengthen your financial position by staying within your family’s budget and by not overspending or overextending through credit cards.

Your attitude plays a role in everything that you do from the your interaction with our global community, to your business, and to the people that surround you daily—your peers, clients, family, and community members. Do you want to be known as the highly successful person who exhibits an impeccable attitude of positive behavior or the neighbor, dad, wife, husband, mother, or business owner that exhibits an attitude of chaos and uncertainty? With whom would you want to interact, with whom would you want to do business? It is fairly obvious, most people would say they want to be the highly successful and recognized individual, but saying it and doing it are two entirely different things … actions speak so much louder than words.

Here are ten questions that if answered honestly will denote whether your actions reflect an attitude of a highly successful individual or if your actions represent the doom and gloom of your local newsanchor, the neighborhood pessimist, or an unsuccessful business owner. Take a moment and address each statement with one of the following answers.

No, I do not do this.

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t, or

Yes, I do this consistently.

And remember, honesty counts!

1. I take full responsibility for how my day turns out.
2. I am confident that I can succeed at whatever I do as long as I simply take the right actions.
3. I spend time visualizing tremendously rewarding success instead of picturing failure.
4. I maintain a positive expectation of every action I take.
5. I look for the best in every situation and the opportunity in every problem.
6. I focus more of my time on seeking solutions rather than staying absorbed in the problem.
7. I see myself as someone who is capable, enthusiastic, and committed.
8. I speak in a positive, powerful, and uplifting manner.
9. I persist with passion until I succeed at whatever I do.
10. I embrace change, and love to learn and grow from new ideas and experiences.

If you answered yes to every one of the ten statements, congratulations, you are a highly successful person that exhibits an impeccable attitude of positive behavior and success. However, if you had to answer just one question with sometimes or no then you have room to grow, work, and develop.

This will shock no one. Change is here to stay. The things that are changing around us today will be fixed, repaired, modified, and replaced by other changes in the future. The only thing that is guaranteed is change will continue to accelerate and come at us faster and faster. However, the key to successfully navigating change is determining the focus of your attitude!

The choice is yours so choose your attitude wisely!

Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.