“You will hear the word “No” 116,000 times in your lifetime. (Maybe more.) Try converting just 1,000 of them to “Yes!” and the world is your oyster.”   – Jeffrey Gitomer

We’re in the midst of a difficult economy, full of uncertainty.  Our government (and others around the world) seems to be run by clowns bent on engaging in fistfights with one another, rather than helping us little people make a living and simply enjoy our freedoms.  One of my financial advisor friends tells me that there are potential investment strategies for both boom and bust cycles, but the one thing that the market can’t deal with is uncertainty. 

There are very few things in this world you can choose.  You can’t choose the world economy; your health (we all know the person who ate right and exercised like crazy - but dropped dead one day); how long you’ll live; your racial, cultural or intellectual status, your mother, father and siblings; the time in history at which you were born, etc.  Not a single one of  these things is within your control.  Yet sadly, many suffer angst about these things and live life ‘through the rear-view mirror.’ 

So, here is my advice.  Stop the whining and worrying.  The most important thing you can do right now is this: choose your attitude and be an optimist.   

One of my heroes was the late Jim Sirbasku, co-founder of Profiles International.  He once said, ‘The world begins at my front door, and ends at my back door.’   This is a truly profound statement, at least to me.  It means that we can control certain things, and that we shouldn’t worry about all the other stuff.  We should set goals and get about achieving them right now.  We should love those we care about, spend time doing the things we want to do, and live a life that we’ll be truly proud of – every day.

Think positive, and keep smiling.  It confounds your enemies and makes your face feel better. 

Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos was criticized for his awkward style of throwing and not-ready-for-prime-time quarterback skills.  The guy just went out on the field, did whatever he could with the skills he had, played his heart out – and won football games.  The wins were ugly, true, but they were wins.  His teammates started to believe.  He didn’t listen to the critics.  He played his game, stayed humble and kept his eyes on the prize.  His teammates are playing their hearts out, too.  This is how optimists do it.      

Optimists don’t always win.  But I’ll bet on ‘em every time.