It’s common
knowledge that royalty, Hollywood stars, and Wall Street tycoons aren’t always
content and well-adjusted. If money and popularity could guarantee happiness,
we wouldn’t hear about so many divorces, dysfunctional relationships, legal
problems, and family tragedies. On the other hand, I have met quite a few stable
people who live just above the poverty level. What is the difference? Their
attitude. It’s that simple.
Recently, a
friend shared an article entitled, “25 Life-Altering
Quotes on How Mindset Changes Everything” , from Movemequotes.com. I would like to share excerpts from that
article, as well as my own related research, today:
Quotes From the Article
“It all starts with the
mind. Regardless of your circumstances or your given set of challenges, your
mind holds within it the power to make any and all experiences painful,
stressful, and depressing or pleasurable, opportunistic, and enlightening. Your
growth potential from each given circumstance and challenge is only limited by
your imagination and mindset.”
************
“If you want to live in a
happier world, think of ways to make people smile more often.”
************
“While positive thinking
doesn’t always work, negative thinking, unfortunately, almost always does.”—Gary
Mack
Also Mentioned in the Article:
Oprah Winfrey
The current “Queen
of all Media”, the richest African-American of the 20th century, was
born into poverty and hardship. She was raised by a single mother in rural
Mississippi and inner-city Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What does she have to say
about attitude?
“Live your life as the underdog and make your rise to the top all
the more inspiring.”—Oprah Winfrey
Hamlet
Shakespeare’s
Danish prince’s clueless friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,
visit him at court. He tells them that he
feels greatly restricted in his lifestyle. (The reader knows that Hamlet is
dealing with family tragedy.) They wonder how a pampered prince can feel that
way, and they say the country doesn’t feel like a prison to them. This is
Hamlet’s reply:
“Why then, ‘tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking
makes it so.”—Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2
Nelson Mandela
He is the
deceased, groundbreaking South African statesman who led his country out of the
dark days of apartheid (government-sanctioned racism). The “Father of the
Nation” was the first black chief executive officer, and the first person to be
elected in a fully representative democratic election. However, his road to
success was rocky. He was arrested multiple times, and spent 27 years in three
different prisons. The conditions were
horrific. Despite it all, he kept a great attitude:
“I am fundamentally an optimist.
Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being
optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving
forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested,
but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lies defeat
and death.”—Nelson Mandela
My Conclusion
It doesn’t
matter if we’re born into poverty, or pampered royalty; there are always
obstacles to overcome. Only determination can get us through the challenges
that life throws at every one of us.
Please see more about people who
refused to stay stuck in adverse circumstances in my book, Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds.
How have you
set your mind for success?
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