Switch it off!

"If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall in place." Lao Tzu

The mind is so important to success in ANY business, especially today. I believe it is time to turn the bad news off and start refreshing our minds with positive influences in order to come out on the other side successfully.

And...this is the perfect time to turn your energy towards new ideas and creative projects that will have you up and ready when we can finally open our doors.

 My hope is that we will all be able to overcome the negative thoughts that are swirling all around us, day and night and get back on track to being the creative, talented individuals that we are!

I thought I would lay out the top three characteristics of highly successful people. Where do you fit? Can you see yourself having these characteristics?

I love what Tim said recently, "Steer in the water you are in." This statement  is so true.

#1...OPTIMISM (in other words, believing most things are possible.)

To be optimistic is to approach challenges and problems believing there is a solution to be found and that it is possible that you will be the one to find that solution. This optimism is not unreasonalble, but simply a positive way to think.

The Imagineer that designed Disney's Animal Kingdom, Joe Rodhi, says this, "We first have to believe that it can be done. Then we have to believe that we are the ones who have the power to do it. IF WE DON'T BELIEVE THOSE TWO THINGS, THE BATTLE IS LOST BEFORE WE START."

#2...PERSISTENCE

This is a tough one, but absolutely necessary. We think of our bulldog, Rock, when we think of the best "picture" of persistence. He had a red tug toy that he loved so much that he would rather die than give it up. Out of breath as he tugged and tugged, we would finally call it quits on our end so that he could take a much needed break.

That is persistence and we need to learn this trait of successful people.

A  great example of persistence is Thomas Edison. He spent 52 years (can you imagine that) perfecting the incandescent light bulb to last from an average of 40 hours to 1,500 hours. His comment was this, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

Let's all have that attitude!

#3...IMAGINATION

This trait allows us to see our ideas before they are actually realized. Children are perhaps the best examples of imagination as they have not developed barriers and put up walls. I've always said playing with photography is one of the best ways to revive imagination if we are feeling stale and have lost the love of this profession amidst the difficulties of keeping the business afloat.

Picasso considered a child's imagination to be the absolute benchmark of creativity.

For creatives, the imagination is the place they work out their ideas without  barriers or walls.

Einstein said of this trait, "Imagination is more important then knowledge."

It is my desire that you are uplifted and encouraged by this Tuesday Tidbit and the words written here. 

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."

Proverbs 25:11