It’s a familiar human practice to focus on negatives. Heaven knows there is enough “head-scratching stuff” going on in the world to provide plenty of opportunities to succumb to “stinking-thinking.” There really isn’t much you can do to change this. As hard as you try, you can’t do much to influence other people’s behavior. 6
You do have the power to change your response to the world’s negative stimuli. You don’t have to “hook your wagon” onto any negative person or uncontrollable circumstance. Remaining positive is a legitimate and highly attractive option.
It confuses me when people decide to wait for a catastrophe before reorienting their lives by adopting a more positive mindset. The death of a loved one has a tendency to give people a much-needed whack in the head. Disease has straightened people out in very short order. Fires and tornadoes have had meaningful impact, more often than not, as do floods and hurricanes.
Let me save you some time, money, and hurt. Straighten yourself out now. Don’t wait for nature to become the catalyst. Begin to see the positive side of things on your own and the true benefits of feeling positive versus negative.
A quote from Barry Diller (one-time QVC Chairman) serves as an excellent example of an admirable way to respond when life throws you a curve ball. When hearing that his bid to take over Paramount Pictures “went south,” he appeared to take the bad news in stride. This billion-dollar opportunity went the way of The Dow Jones on Black Monday. If there was a good reason to become “bummed-out,” this failure would qualify as Numero Uno. When asked how he felt upon learning of this failure, Mr. Diller casually responded, “They won. We lost. Who’s next?”
I love those six words when confronted with a less than admirable buying decision. When approaching any business opportunity, the professional knows that a number of things can spoil the sale. In fact, in the majority of cases, the sale does not materialize for any number of reasons. This isn’t negative thinking. It is a fact. Professionals refuse to spend time focusing on bad news. There isn’t enough time in the day, and there is too much to accomplish.
“Who’s next?” should be your knee-jerk response. Feeling bad after a disappointment is understandable – just don’t spend too much time feeling sorry for yourself. Take a few minutes to shed a tear or punch a wall (depending on your personality type), if you must. Learn what you can from the current situation and then get back to business. You have work to do. The next “homerun” may be just one more “sales pitch” away.
Message: You are not meant to be all things to all people. You will hear the word “no” more often than you will hear the word “yes.” Understand this and make a concerted effort to go out and find more “yeses.”
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.
mike@mikemarchev.com.
