Ideas about motivation and inspiration change over time. During the 1970’s and 1980’s pundits advocated a positive mental attitude as the key to achieving goals and insuring happiness. The mere act of thinking positively, we were told, would cause what we wanted to magically appear.
Recently, “The Secret” has been revealed and has been spreading like wild fire. The latest greatest belief is in the “Law of Attraction.” In short, the theory tells us when we think positively and imagine we already have what we want, the powers of the universe will align to make it ours.
I have seen the importance of positive mental attitude and the Law of Attraction in my own life. Both have been fundamental in the publication of my book A Special Gift. Almost four years ago I wrote about the importance of soap operas in the Venezuelan culture. Specifically, I mentioned Juan José, the book’s principal character, was happiest while watching the soap opera at 9:00 PM. Just before my book was published, I met Guillermo Dávila who has been an actor on many soap operas and at that time was in the show at 9:00 PM. This manifestation of the Law of Attraction led me to ask him to baptize and be the Godfather of my book.
While a positive attitude and the Law of Attraction are powerful, we have the benefit of additional basic principles which can empower us to overcome our daily challenges. “Overcome Challenge?” you might ask. “Could it be Rob really wants to say overcome problems?” I firmly believe we should focus on the challenge in a situation rather than on the problem. I have yet to find a problem which cannot be seen as a challenge. Our mind is a marvelous machine which processes information exactly as it is presented. When we embrace challenge, we reject problems. When our mind sees a difficult situation as a challenge, it automatically begins to generate solutions.
In addition to a positive mental attitude and the conscious implementation of the Law of Attraction which provide a tremendous backdrop to Overcome Challenge, it is beneficial to employ:
A good sense of humor
A strong internal locus of control *
Something which drives us to take action
The talent to see the good in a bad situation
A healthy curiosity about the world in which we live
The capacity to see the reality of the moment, be it good or bad
Faith in general and specifically in our ability to resolve the most difficult of circumstance
We have all overcome difficulty. When we finally succeed, after muddling through dark thoughts of desperation and defeat, we cherish the moment forever. These instances become the stories we tell our children and grandchildren and, ultimately, are the experiences which give us the most satisfaction.
It’s not enough to simply think and imagine everything will be fine in the end. We must confidently move forward and take action knowing we have the power to change our direction, overcome challenge and determine our destiny.
* Locus of control theory is a concept that extends between psychology and sociology, which distinguishes between two types of people – internals, who attribute events to their own control, and externals, who attribute events in their life to external circumstances.
It’s the Bounce that Counts!
∞ Rob McBride ∞
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