“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
- Thomas Jefferson
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Leave it to T.J. to pull double duty. I think this quote nicely demonstrates what lies behind both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. How many times have you seen someone who you thought could be tremendously successful if only he or she had a better attitude? Since the beginning of time, it seems, the sages have quipped on the importance of having a proper mindset for success. Tommy goes a bit further, though, and points out the distrastrous consequences that await those who are prone to negativity.
An entire branch of psychology has now begun to examine the benefits experienced by those who “accentuate the positive”. The founder of Positive Psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman, recently served as the President of the American Psychological Association. While behavioral scientists get their nerd on, it’s comforting to know that another American President observed this uncommon sense more than 200 years earlier.
If you’re heading to the Coaching and Positive Psychology Initiative at Harvard University on September 26 & 27, you’ll certainly learn much more on this fascinating subject. Look me up when you get there – I’ll be the guy in the front row taking copious notes and whispering “This is awesome!”.