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This Mind-Flip That Makes Failure Impossible

Leaving aside every self-help book on the market, I'd like to propose the hypothesis that there is ONE thing you need to be successful, and that you already have it.

You just don't realize it yet.

Two marketers began their online journey ten years ago. They each encountered comparable stumbling blocks and failures.

One of them went on to make a fortune.

The other one failed badly and now works a regular 9-to-5 job.

What was the deciding factor?

The mental flip.

Assume you had a switch in your brain, and whenever you experience any form of setback, you turn that switch to discover the positive in it.

No, I'm not talking about fanciful rainbows and magical pink unicorn fantasies. I'm talking about flipping your own switch because no one else will.

Rather than being disappointed, angry, or depressed, look for the good or the lesson in anything that ordinarily brings you down.

This is referred to as resilience. We're told to be resilient, to recover from defeat, and to keep going forward, but no one tells us how.

So, let me give it a shot and see if this strikes a chord with you.

A customer sends you an angry email. Yeah! This is your chance to set things right while also discovering whether there is a defect in your product. What a fantastic thing to happen! Your formerly irate customer now understands what happened, they appreciate the time you took to listen to them and handle the problem, and you have feedback on how to improve the way people use your product.

You're having problems with your website. Yeah! Now it's time to call your host, website builder, or whatever and let them show you what an amazing service they give. You're dissatisfied with the outcome? Yeah! You now have a compelling cause to seek out a new host or webmaster who will make you happy!

You dumped that spaghetti dish on the floor? Yeah! You've been meaning to clean the floor for weeks, and this is the perfect opportunity. Look at how bright it is now!

You missed the light and now you have to wait 3 minutes to get through the intersection? Yeah! If you had made the light, perhaps you would have been involved in a fatal accident that you’ve now missed!

Isn't this all a little crazy? Maybe. However, your experience is only as good as you make it.

I went camping with a friend once. It began to rain as soon as we arrived, and it did not stop for two days and two nights. Yeah! I took it as a challenge, and it turned out to be one of my favorite trips ever. I sung in the rain, danced in the rain, hiked in the rain, and fell asleep each night to the sound of rain on my tent.

My companion, on the other hand, chose to be unpleasant the entire time. He moaned, complained, became enraged, picked fights, and spent the entire time wishing he could be somewhere else. He was also upset that I didn't share his mindset, but oh well! We had the identical experience, but it was good for me and bad for him. The only difference was how we chose to perceive what was going on.

I may be oversimplifying here, but when it comes down to it, I believe the only difference between a successful person and a failure is resilience.

Look for the silver lining in every situation. Sure, it's a cliche, but it's true that your experience is what you make it.

Have you ever felt sad or upset about something, then had some coffee or went on a stroll, and you felt ten times better about it? The situation didn’t change – you did. And after you've established a good mindset, you'll be able to move forward and complete whatever tasks are required.

Here are nine ideas for mastering the art of shifting your thinking to the positive side of life:

Play with Opposites - When you have a negative idea like, "I detest getting on these Zoom meetings," remind yourself, "What if the reverse were true?"

Friendship - Support groups are fantastic for assisting you in developing this resilience. Talk it out and help each other see the bright side. If they insist on being negative – and let's face it, some individuals thrive on it - find a new support group.

Greatest Hits - When you're feeling down about yourself or your talents, remember moments when you achieved something amazing that totally worked for you.

Self-care - Entails getting enough sleep and eating well. Exercise. All of these things will assist you in remaining positive and going forward in your career and life.

Is it Real? – When you see your negative thoughts becoming out of hand, ask yourself if they are true. Nine times out of ten, you will see that your negative ideas are a distortion and are out of touch with reality.

Acceptance - Rather than criticizing yourself harshly for being gloomy, embrace your existing thinking and quit fighting it. Then put it aside and continue.

Laughter - Can't see the funny side of things? Then pretend it's been 5 years and you're telling someone about what just happened. Find the humorous aspect of it and make your friend chuckle.

Use Your Influence – You always – ALWAYS – have the ability to select how you will perceive events. Perhaps you are choosing to feel horrible right now, but recognize that this is your choice. See what happens if you choose to feel only 1% better.

Body Language - Emotions are led by the body rather than the other way around. You feel better when you force yourself to grin, stand tall, and raise your arms high in a victory gesture. Even holding a pencil in your mouth sideways will activate your grin muscles and increase your happiness.

Now, I'm sure some of you reading this will have a strong reply for me that goes something like this: "We're in the middle of a pandemic, my life is turned upside down, and people are becoming sick and even dying." “How am I expected to change my mindset to one of optimism?”

All of this is completely true. But can you conceive of a better or more crucial time in your life to develop resilience and to look for the good in everything?

Go for a walk the next time anything bothers you. Alternatively, you might listen to your favorite music. Or you could pet your dog or talk to someone.

Taking a break is beneficial because it provides you with the perspective you sometimes require to keep going forward.

When things don't go as planned, practice switching the switch in your brain. This life skill will get you through the difficult times while also ensuring huge success in the good times.

Toggle the switch. Recognize that your best defense is resilience.

Look for the bright side. I guarantee you that it exists someplace.

And smile, for whatever happens, it will pass.