The
Mindset and
More Challenge
By Lisa Marie Platske - CEO of
Upside Thinking, Inc.
The most successful people in the world, or at
least the most interesting, have overcome some
sort of difficulty or adversity.
In 8th grade, I was assigned Norman Vincent
Peale's The
Power of Positive Thinking in my
reading class. We were instructed to memorize
certain quotes from his book and carry them
around with us on a 3 x 5 note card. There is
one quote from my set of cards that I still
recite: "Out
of every adversity comes an equal or greater
opportunity." I came from humble
roots, and this was my belief...and it still is
today. This is my mindset to achieve.
But, mindset isn't enough. It must be coupled
with action. One of the characteristics of
individuals who are success-driven is that they
have a strong work ethic. Having to work hard
actually becomes a blessing in disguise. I used
to be angry that I wasn't born with a silver
spoon in my mouth, but now I understand that the
value of hard work must be experienced to be
understood.
The circumstances which separate failure from
success often are so slight that it's tough to
see what they really are. But, one secret is
what I like to call the "And, more" factor.
Highly successful people always do what is
necessary, and then they go above and
beyond....they do what they're asked "and
more". They rely on the power of "and, more" to
get them through challenges and adversity, as
well as to their dreams and goals.
The "Mindset
And More"
challenge is that we live in a world where
devices are created to make all that we do in
life a little easier. There are instant meals,
and instant relationships. Americans especially
have become accustomed to comfort and ease.
Yesterday I listened to a very funny commentary
from a well-known comedian that cited the many
ways that we "forget" how easy our lives really
are, from new technology to air travel.
In these challenging times of severe cutbacks
and rampant layoffs, change will only come if we
remember Peale's statement: "Out of every
adversity comes an equal or greater opportunity"
AND act with "and more". With an upside outlook
and a willingness to face difficult
circumstances head on, we can learn how to pick
ourselves up from any failure. And that's what
makes success taste so sweet. After all, it's
not the falling down that matters, but the
getting up over and over again.
“If you are irritated by every rub, how will
your mirror be polished?”
- Rumi
