Seven Choices with the Power to Transform Your Life
You Have the Power to Change Your Life
Many people trudge through life doing things they don’t want to do, working at jobs they don’t like, having conversations they don’t want to have, and never doing the things they would truly like to do. Though each of them could point to a thousand reasons why they’re stuck in a joyless rut, the answer in every case boils down to the same thing. They’re held in place by the limiting belief that they don’t have the power to choose. They don’t try—not because they don’t think they can succeed, but because they don’t believe they can choose to succeed.
The irony of the situation is that by not choosing a more promising job, more meaningful relationships, or more fulfilling activities, they’re making a choice! They’re choosing to remain exactly where they are. Each day they choose pessimism over hope, self-pity over joy, scarcity over generosity, and many other negative, limiting choices that root them in place. They have the power to choose, but they make negative choices.
In this section, you’ll learn what needs to change in your thinking and behavior in order to be happy and successful, and move to a positive future. There are seven basic choices each person makes in life—for better or worse, intentionally or unwittingly. Positive thinkers make a positive decision in all seven cases. These positive choices flow from and reinforce a positive outlook on life. These seven critical life choices inevitably shape your life, your character, and your future.
Here are the seven choices that transform your life.
• Believe it will all work out—choose hope.
• Don’t take yourself too seriously—choose humility.
• Count your blessings—choose gratitude.
• Give more than you take—choose generosity.
• Be kind to everyone you meet—choose compassion.
• Celebrate life—choose joy.
• Keep going no matter what—choose perseverance.
To show you the power of each choice, I’ll relate a recollection from my early life—meaningful moments from the most positive thinker I’ve ever known, my father. When we’re finished, you’ll understand the specific choices you need to make in order to transform your own life through the power of a positive attitude.