by Bill Gough, Insurance Hall of Fame Agent
Almost every success story that I've heard or know of, brought me to the realization that it all began with a positive mindset.
To say that another way, almost every sad story I've heard or know, I realize it was driven by a poverty mindset:
“I am poor and nothing is going to change,” or “I'm not good enough”.
It’s easy to get stuck telling yourself negative stories over and over again. I understand that it isn’t easy to switch from a negative mindset to a positive mindset overnight. But it is possible!
Developing a positive mindset requires that you work at it. I’m not talking about some silliness of just telling yourself that everything is going to be great all the time or ignoring the bad things when they happen. I’m talking about coming to the realization that the worst things that happen are almost never as bad as they seem, and they are almost never the end of the story.
Imagine a strong tall tree and ask yourself how long it took for it to be so strong and tall?
Ask yourself again how it all began. It all started as a seed and grew to be strong and tall because it was fed water and sunlight.
Now imagine a positive mindset as a seed that you can plant within yourself. Water that seed with little stories of your own success - pick a task that you’ve been putting off and just do it.
You’ll be surprised how that one simple success can feed the seed inside you. Then, do it again and again.
Now that you’ve felt some success, give the seed the sunlight of helping someone else. You probably know one of my favorite Zig Ziglar quotes… “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” This philosophy has been very valuable to me.
In serving others, we are all reminded that our own problems aren’t the only ones in the world, and by doing that, they seem smaller and less significant.
For every three to five of the goals you set to move yourself forward, set at least one to help someone else move forward. Over time, with the water and sunlight you’re providing, the tree of your own positive mindset will be nourished and will grow strong and tall.