The Power of Positive Thinking

Have you ever watched one year olds learn to walk?  If you have, you are sure to notice a number of similar experiences.  While every child learns how to walk in a similar way, each one’s experience is unique as they get up, fall down, get up, and keep trying. What is amazing is their determination, lack of fear, commitment, practice, and continuing efforts to test the situation.   That’s the power of positive thinking.  As a startup and turnaround business consultant, I constantly hear, read advice, and see comments focused on worries, concerns, caution, in essence, all the old paradigms related to bringing about business success. While some of these perceptions may have validity in certain situations, they’re generally not productive.

Positive thinking is vital

Here are a number of suggestions startup entrepreneurs should consider:

• One needs the passion and confidence to believe he/she can succeed.
• Learn to understand that starting a business is a process. Recognize you will make mistakes. Your goal must be to develop, test, measure, and adapt rather than give up after the first or second problem.
• To create a positive culture, make sure to say thank you, demonstrate care about people, and be supportive with praise and encouragement.
• Be certain to encourage open communication, a sense of realism, and focus on problem solving. Be sure to constantly assess your situation. Develop expert support and, when appropriate, have discussions with outside and inside colleagues.
• Positive thinking requires you to always develop small positive steps. To do so, often requires a new perspective and a willingness to be open to and examine new alternatives.

These suggestions could be summarized with the following simple quotes:

“Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?” – George Bernard Shaw

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” — addressing the self-doubt that still holds many women back. – Sheryl Sandberg

Conclusion

In summary, we need to separate the reality from the paranoia. Many perceptions are simply a function of the times. All one has to do is look at news, politics, foreign revolutions, crime, to simply get depressed. Hope, energy, innovation, confidence, so often seem to be forced on to the back burner. Today’s Pope is one of a few advocates for more love, good deeds, and a positive attitude. As entrepreneurs try to understand the real issues facing others, organizations and themselves they need to help develop solutions, be more supportive, and strive to use positive thinking in all situations.

Bert Shlensky is president of www.startupconnection.net and to be successful in a new business one must focus on the positive without ignoring reality.