I believe one of the hardest parts of building and maintaining a positive mindset is the fear that we could be wrong.
We fear that we’re being too positive and aiming too high. We fear that we’re being unrealistic with our dreams, and we wonder if we’re deluding ourselves about what is possible. Ultimately, we fear that being too positive could set us up for unnecessary disappointment.
After all, the world is full of naysayers and cynics warning us about the dangers of being too optimistic. It’s “popular” to be cynical and there will always be vastly more people willing to tell you why something can’t be done than those who tell you why something can be.
Why is that? Is there wisdom in this majority opinion? Are the cynics and naysayers right and the optimists and dreamers wrong?
Actually, while it’s true that the naysayers massively outnumber the optimists, it’s also true that top leaders and high achievers overwhelmingly tend to be optimistic dreamers. That should tell you something.
Lou Holtz is the only coach in college football history to take six different programs to bowl games. In each case, he inherited a struggling team coming off of a .500 season or worse and had them playing in a bowl game within two years or less.
Holtz is also a sought-after speaker who has met with literally hundreds of the top CEOs and business leaders in America. In short, Holtz has learned first-hand what separates the successful from the unsuccessful in sports and business.
Here’s what Lou Holtz says is the one thing all great leaders have in common…
I have been fortunate to speak before nearly every company in the Fortune 500. They all have one thing in common: leaders who dream of greatness all the time. They don’t wait for anything. These men and women set lofty goals for themselves and their companies and then surpass them. We can all profit from their examples.
Of course, any dream is mere idleness unless you act on it. It takes hard work and dedication to make your dreams real. You must also turn a deaf ear toward naysayers. Never listen to anyone who tells you your dream is impossible. The next time someone tries to discourage your aspiration, take a close look at them. I’ll wager that person hasn’t accomplished much in his or her life.
Any genuinely successful person will tell you to ignore the odds when they are stacked against you and go for it.
Surround yourself with encouragers. Sometimes you need another positive perspective to recognize the limits you place on yourself.
I’ve always believed that dreams make the best chauffeurs, because they will drive you anywhere you want to go. Dreamers positively seethe with youthful excitement no matter what their age.
Start living your dreams. Whatever you choose, it should propel you out of bed every morning hungry to accomplish something.
— Lou Holtz, from his book Winning Every Day
Naysayers and cynics love to make fun of the optimists and dreamers. They love to tell you all the reasons why you’re powerless to achieve your goals and they’ll happily reinforce any doubts you may have about your potential. They’ll tell you again and again that there’s nothing you can do to change your fate in life.
But successful people refuse to listen to these naysayers. They refuse to let the voice of cynicism infiltrate their mindset.
You must do the same.
As Lou Holtz says in the above statement, you have to be very careful about what you let into your mind. This goes beyond the people you personally come into contact with. It includes the voices you hear on TV, the books and stories you read, the music you listen to, and the movies and shows you watch.
Negativity and cynicism surround you and if you’re not actively trying to block it out, it will bring you down and fill you with damaging beliefs.
In order to block yourself from negative beliefs, you must proactively fill your mind with positive thoughts to the point that there’s no room for the negative.
Read and re-read your goals on a daily basis. Visualize them coming true. Let the goals you are passionate about consume your mind throughout the day.
Also make sure to feed your mind positive books, movies, and music. One of my main goals with the Sports for the Soul series is to make sure every book reinforces positive and empowering principles that create an optimistic, growth-oriented mindset.
You don’t have to be a victim to your surroundings. You can make the choice to block out the negative and feed your mind the positive.
That’s what successful people do. And that is exactly why they become successful.
If you want to be like the majority of underachievers, be a cynic. If you want to be exceptional and rise to the top, be an optimist.
