I wasn’t always a positive thinker and doer.
In fact, I grew up following the common adage: “Hope for the best and expect the worst.”
Somehow, I got the idea that it’s okay to aspire for good things to happen but you should always remember that the worst is somewhere around the corner.
It’s so you don’t get disappointed, the people around me said. And I believed them.
When I was young and I wanted something so bad, I kept in mind the “best aspiration” and the “worst expectation.”
Like when I joined a beauty contest, I told myself: “I want to win the crown but it’s okay even if I win first runner up.”
When I signed up for junior citizen’s training in high school, I knew I wanted to be the commander but I thought I’d settle for the second post.
I wanted first but I thought it’s okay to settle for second and second is what I always got.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for all my blessings and I’m proud of all my achievements. But I didn’t realize that I was holding myself back from greater things
Until in junior year, I sat next to a wonderful classmate named Gwen.
The book that changed my mind
Gwen was a very gentle and kind person. I will always remember her because she was the one who introduced me to the first book that would change my frame of mind.
She lent me Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking, a book that contains timeless and priceless pieces of wisdom that made me turn 360 degrees for the better.
I learned some very valuable things from this amazing book:
* I learned that it was not enough to think positively, I had to live positively as well.
* If I hoped for the best, I should expect the best and I’d get it.
* We’ve all got one chance at life, so live it passionately!
Since reading that book 12 years ago, I’ve always tried to be a positive thinker and doer. And I’m not going to kid you, being an optimist can be a challenge because people around me could get very pessimistic.
They have this habit of focusing on all the reasons why something won’t work when all they need is one reason why it can.
I’m sure you know a couple of people who are like this, maybe at one time or another, you’ve been one of them too.
Sometimes, I get unconsciously pessimistic too. It’s by force of habit of gearing up for disappointment.
But the important thing is, I always bounce back and return to my positive gear.
Among the things that help me stay positive is surrounding myself with personal growth, inspirational and motivational books. All of them have taught me important life principles that can really be life-changing.
Has positivity changed my life?
Yes.
Positivity has played an important role for me to reach my dreams.
My childhood dream was to be a TV personality but as I grew older, my dream evolved. I thought it would be cool to work behind the scenes of a TV program.
After college, I had only one goal in mind: to work for one of the country’s biggest television networks.
I firmly believed I could do it.
I knew for sure I would get in.
And after much effort, persistence and patience, I did.
Have I succeeded?
Yes and No.
Yes, I would say I have succeeded because I’ve dreamed, I’ve believed and I’ve achieved. I’ve been in my dream workplace for five years.
But over time, I have learned that success is a continuous journey.
When one dream comes true, I should continue to dream bigger and better.
That is where the “No” comes in.
After getting into my dream workplace, I fell into a trap most people encounter: I stopped dreaming.
I got lost in the race for money and survival that I lived my days automatically: home – work – occasional gimmick – home – work.
It was like a cycle that I couldn’t get out of.
I felt tired and drained.
Pessimism and negativity ate me up.
Even my positive bookshelf didn’t help because I became too busy to read them.
There were days when I woke up thinking, “What am I here for?”
I lived without any other purpose than just to get through the day.
Did you ever feel the same way?
Turning points
One day, I chanced upon my old copy of the Power of Positive Thinking and started re-reading it.
You know how something just strikes you like it never did before? I’ve read and re-read this book for the nth time but it was only then that these statements really hit me:
Lose yourself in something in which you have a profound conviction.
Be on fire for something!
That’s when I realized what I was lacking all along: PASSION!
I needed to find the dreamer in me again.
I needed to light my inner fire.
I asked myself: What am I passionate about?
I am passionate about:
- Learning and applying principles to live positively and successfully
- Writing and interacting with people
- Sharing what I learned with others and helping them to be passionate about life
Discovering what I am passionate about helped me to build the foundation for my BIGGER and BETTER DREAMS.
Starting this blog is just one of the action steps I’m taking to achieve them. I’ve also committed, not only to review the positive life principles I’ve learned before, but to diligently apply them one day at a time.
This blog will chronicle my journey as well as the lessons I learn along the way.
What do I expect to find along the road?
A life marked by personal success, abundant wealth, lasting love, and true happiness.
Feel free to join me in this journey, I’d love to hear what you’ve learned too.
