This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.—Psalm 118:24
Brainy Tip: Our choices determine how we respond to our environment, and our brain reflects our responses.
Focusing on the positive allows you to see multiple possibilities in every situation. This type of thinking is intrinsically hopeful; you just keep on trying till you find success. You are grateful for the journey and the destination. And the good news is that this is part of the wired-for-love nature of the brain and body—you just have to unlock it!
Research on the effects gratitude has on our biology shows how being thankful increases our longevity, our ability to use our imagination, our ability to solve problems, and our overall health. Gratitude for where we are is essential for where we want to be.
Look at Thomas Edison. He tried about a thousand times before he succeeded in inventing the light bulb. When asked about his “failures,” Edison declared that “I have gotten lots of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work!’”1 Edison didn’t limit his potential to preconceived notions of success. He had a goal and he kept going until he achieved it, regardless of the number of attempts along the way. He didn’t see his attempts as failures; he saw his attempts as results. He had gained worthwhile knowledge—it was a learning process. The question is, what have you gained from your life experiences?
1. Michael Gelb and Sarah Miller Caldicott, Innovate Like Edison: The Five-Step System for Breakthrough Business Success (New York: Plume, 2008), 88–90.