The magic of positive thinking

Yes, there is magic in positive thinking! In aviation, the word attitude means the angle at which the plane meets the wind, whether the wings are level with the horizon, and whether it is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his aircraft is in serious trouble. Likewise, any person who has not taken charge of his or her own beliefs and attitudes runs a similar risk. The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to take control of your thinking and avoid negative-minded people. It's a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort.

Every setback and failure you experience also comes with a great opportunity. When one door closes, a window of possibility opens. The key is to look for the opportunity and avoid dwelling on failure. Think thoughts of defeat and you are bound to feel defeated. Your attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how you respond to those circumstances. You determine your attitude; you always have the choice to respond either positively or negatively. What happens to a person is less important than what happens within them.

The great inventor, Thomas A. Edison, was known for his positive mental attitude. In December 1914, the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, N.J., was almost entirely destroyed by fire. Edison lost $2,000,000 worth of equipment and the records of much of his life's work. The morning after the fire, as the 67-year-old inventor walked among the ashes, he was anything but defeated. Looking around, he remarked, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew." Yes, there is magic in a positive attitude!