It has always impressed me when I meet truly positive people. There are those people who project an image that all is well but don't truly believe. I am not talking about those people. I am referring to those people who have unquestioned loyalty to themselves and their ability to survive. When I encounter these people I make a point of finding out why? Why are they so successful, so happy and so complete?

Their answers are no less impressive than the person themselves! They believe! You have no doubt heard about the glass is half-full or half-empty concept. Some people believe they have only half a glass of life, meaning they have less of an opportunity than others. They often feel victimized by life. Their thoughts may include jealousy of others.

Other people feel their life is half-full, meaning they have lots more to experience and to give. I don't mean the false invincibility that young people often feel. I mean that they feel their capacity is ever increasing. They have a sense of positive urgency. They truly want to know more, do more, love more and live more.

These truly positive people share a common approach to life. They all know themselves and maximize their strengths and manage their weaknesses. Some say you should minimize your weaknesses. I don't agree. When you say you are going to minimize something it is as though you are going to over-look them or ignore them. We all have weaknesses, myself included. If we manage them then we take responsibility for them and do something about them.

As well, these positive people remind themselves of their strengths on a regular and constant basis. I do not mean that they inflate their egos. I mean that they remind themselves of their competencies. Their philosophy is I can rather than I cannot. I run a very successful international professional sales and management training company. Part of what I do is coach people on how to more effectively do their jobs. A surprising number of people when presented with sound business and management practices find all the reasons why this practice will not work before they ever try them. These people are the glass is half-empty people.

The half-empty people give themselves constant messages like, I cannot, I will not, it is not possible, it will not work, I am afraid, I am not able and worst of all, I don't believe. This constant process of I cannot do something or believe something trains your brain to expect failure and what is impossible.

I am in my 60s and I feel totally empowered to do whatever I wish to do. I am active, enthusiastic, energetic and positive about life and who I am. I give myself positive messages in the best and the worst times of my life. Yes, my life is not perfect. It is just like you. Some people view life as though it were filled with lemons. I view it as those it is filled with lemon pies. It is your choice, sour lemons or sweet lemon pies?
Be careful what you tell yourself for you are creating your own reality.