A pessimist expects the worst and usually produces it. Dead end, blind alley negativism sees unchangeable past events and an unmanageable future. By casting oneself as a martyred victim, one absolves oneself of responsibility for finding an answer and for the hard work of implementing a solution.

Positivism is not blind to the problems of the world nor does it assume the problems magically will disappear. Positivism is not rose-colored glasses or being a Pollyanna. Positivism simply assumes that a good frame of mind is a better place to start than a negative one. Assuming failure is an excellent start to creating failure.

Being a positive problem solver does not assure success but it certainly increases the likelihood of success. Most people will rally around, support, and work with a confident, positive person. And being positive generally makes you a more pleasant person to be around!

Closing quotes:

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” — Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” — W. Clement Stone (1902-2002)