If there is one thing I am grateful for, it’s my ability to see the beauty that life can offer instead of being disheartened by the obstacles that come my way.
Thomas A. Edison once said, “I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.”
In any kind of business, we will all inevitably come across failure. We will sometimes be disappointed with the results of our efforts.
But we need to realize that we can only do so much—that even with a seemingly perfect plan, things could go wrong halfway through the process.
So how do we deal with it?
As a business mentor, I have met many that inspired me to continue my advocacy of helping Filipinos elevate their status by engaging in businesses, no matter how small.
Some of them almost gave up after struggling with the businesses they started. I asked these disheartened entrepreneurs: “What do you think is causing your business to fail?”
I was surprised with their reply. I was expecting them to tell me that they didn't know enough about the business they entered.
But the reason was: they lacked faith in themselves and had doubts that they could make the business work.
When I asked them why, they replied that each struggle with the business seemed to be pulling them down deeper.
When a person has a positive attitude in life, trials and tribulations become a “gold mine of learning.” We never really know how much further we can improve until we’ve been tested. So, what is the best way to get out of a rut? Pray and believe that you can!
CREATING A POSITIVE MINDSET
Believe me, when you start seeing the positive aspects of life, any blow that comes your way will not be as disheartening or as difficult.
The power of the mind is so strong that all you need to do is to get into the habit of thinking positively and things will fall into place.
Before starting any kind of business, you need to be more than financially prepared – you also need to prepare yourself emotionally and physically.
You can live a positive life by following these tips:
- List down all the things that you want to achieve. If you feel that you are going to fail, write down the reason why you might fail and think of a better approach.
- Negative events from the past should no longer haunt you and make you feel small. When this happens, replace them with positive thoughts.
- When you are feeling low, never allow negative thoughts to overwhelm you. Push them out of your mind and concentrate on the good things in life.
- Some would think that this is crazy, but saying something positive to yourself every day helps you have a positive outlook on life.
- Realize that no one and nothing in this world is perfect. Expect that there will be more challenges ahead. But instead of being afraid or doubtful, embrace the challenge, turn yourself around and become a better version of you.
- Seize every little opportunity. No matter how insignificant something may seem, there will always be one good reason why you should take notice of it.
- Envision yourself achieving your goal. Let your goal be your motivation to succeed. But always back it up with action.
- Surround yourself with people that can help and encourage you instead of those who berate you over the decisions you make.
- When you hit a bump, never blame yourself for not doing your best. You just need to realize that sometimes, things don’t work out. Perhaps you just need more time to think about other ways to reach your goal.
- Never dwell on your mistakes. Accept your errors, think about what might have led you to make them, and then move on.
- There is always an opportunity to improve in every failure. Look at these failures as your stepping stones towards reaching your goal.
- Learn to stop and breathe. No one can be creative if he is drowning in work 24/7. There is a need to unwind. Take the chance to have quality time with your family and friends. You also need to relax and enjoy.
- When you feel that a negative feeling is slowly creeping in, list down 100 things that make you happy.
- Never expect that all your plans will materialize. Sometimes things won’t work out. Be prepared. Have a backup plan.
- Find solutions instead of sulking.
- Create realistic and achievable goals. One of the major reasons why some people think they are huge failures is that they had goals which were obviously unachievable in the first place.
- Make it a habit to wake up each morning with a positive attitude by starting with a small prayer of thanks that you are able to live another day.
- Believe in yourself. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You are who you are now because of the challenges that you've been through. Make a better you. Success is never far behind.
Dwelling on negative thoughts can drain your energy. The more you think about them, the more you get stuck. Why make yourself feel worthless when you can make yourself better than before? Learn to unleash the power of your mind in a positive way and great things are sure to follow.
(Armando Bartolome is known as the Philippines’ Franchise Guru, a business mentor to numerous micro entrepreneurs who are now themselves big names in the industry. This article is reposted with the author’s permission and was previously published on The Business Mentor column posted by ABSCBN News. For questions and more information, you may contact Armando "Butz" Bartolome by email:philfranchiseguru@gmail.com or on Twitter @philfranguru. His website is www.gmb.com.ph)
