Positivity is the secret to success in all areas of your life.

Adopting a negative and defensive attitude in negative situations will only make the situation worse. You’ll end in a downward spiral.

Take the opposite approach and reframe the situation as a challenge. It then becomes an opportunity that you can learn and develop from.

The 3 steps idea listed below come from the closing chapter of Ant Middleton’s book ‘First Man In’. The book tells the tale of the often extreme challenges he’s faced before during and after his special forces career and how he’s always managed to flip negatives to positives.

The result? A charismatic leader.

Step 1 – Be Honest

• Stand in front of the mirror and be brutally honest with yourself, out loud
• Focus on physical as well as mental flaws    
• Start accepting yourself for who you are, warts and all
• The result is that you’re no longer offended by external criticism because you’ve already acknowledged and accepted these flaws and weaknesses

The result? Freedom and acceptance.

Step 2 – Take Responsibility  

• Look at each failure and weakness you’ve identified above
• Ignore any external factors that have contributed. We’re not interested in looking back at things we can’t fix. This brings in negativity, demotivation and resentment
• Instead, focus on how you were responsible for the failure or weakness, no matter how many other factors also played a part

The result? You’re in control.

Step 3 – Take Action

• Fix the weaknesses you’ve identified above
• Be patient with yourself but be honest
• If you fall, get up and try again
• Always focus on the opportunity no matter how deep it might be hidden below the surface – it\’ll be there!

The result? The growth of a confident and charismatic leader who inspires others by their actions.

You’ll no longer worry about what other people think of you.

You’ll stop trying to do what you think other people expect of you.

You’ll not avoid trying something new because of fear of failure.  

The mental energy you once spent on draining negative thoughts and excuses will be released to solve any problems. Instead you’ll be looking to find the hidden opportunity.

Here’s to your success…….!

Useful Information:

Here are 2 other books on this topic which are well worth a read;

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

Interested in starting to earn a living online? Register for this free webinar from a mentor of mine, Stuart Ross, Co-Founder of the Six Figure Mentors…

Other Posts you may be interested in;

Crisis vs Opportunity (Your Choice)

The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask Yourself