Focus on the Positive and Stay Focused

One of the best ways to achieve success is to focus on the positive instead of dwelling on the negative.  It sounds simple, but it is not always easy.  For all kinds of reasons, many of us fixate on the things that aren't going well while we diminish the significance of the things that are going well. In the past, this was an evolutionary technique that kept us alert and alive--expecting to defend against disaster.  Our lives are no longer teetering on the edge of life or death.  We can choose to be optimistic about our future and our success.  By doing so, we can create the motivation and sustain the momentum we need to keep going despite the bumps in the road.

Since it is Summer Olympics time, I have been watching these incredible athletes who have sacrificed so much to compete for a chance at an Olympic medal.  These athletes are super-human in their drive, focus, ability, athleticism and never-fail attitude.  When these athletes are being interviewed, they make it look easy.  That's only because we are seeing them at the pinnacle of their success.  We are not watching the grueling years of training they endured, the set backs like injury, surgery, rehabilitation they suffered, or the sacrifices their families made to make their training possible.

We can take a page from these athletes and remember that life is not always perfect no matter how much you'd like it to be.  We can remember that learning from life's experiences is a valuable tool that provides lessons for the future.  We can choose to focus our thoughts on the success we'd like to achieve instead of the mistakes we made.  We can gather the support of our friends and family and even coworkers to keep moving forward.

Bumps in the road are inevitable.  They are a small part of the journey not the end of the journey. Bumps keep us humble and can even redirect our efforts.  The important thing is to remember that focusing on the positive will keep us from dwelling on the negative.  That positive attitude will provide the energy and momentum to keep pursuing our dreams.  We can choose this.  We can win.