I recently received a question on LinkedIn from one of my connections who is a trainer and job search specialist. She was looking for stories about how keeping a positive attitude is crucial to success in one’s job hunt during these times. In my reply, while I acknowledged that a positive attitude is important, it’ll only get you so far. There is something far more important to succeeding whether it is the job hunt or building your business.
That something is your beliefs. Beliefs run deeper than attitude and consciously or unconsciously (often the case) have more to do with our success or lack thereof than anything else. When your beliefs are not aligned with what you say you want, your feelings take a hit (no matter how much positive attitude I will put on a happy face you do), your vibrational energy lowers, and instead of attracting what you say you want, you get mud.
I’m not trying to give positive attitude a bad rap. It is an important part of your success, just not the savior so many make it up to be. As Millionaire Mommy Next Door says, your attitude is your choice so make it a positive one.
In “Being positive…” Trish shares what we’ve all experienced at one time or another:
OK, so I am on a mission to change my outlook…it can be hard, it is hard, but I will do it!
I remember there was a time when I was very positive, always smiling and not too much got me down, I want that person back and I will get her back, I know it.
It is amazing that when you feel good, have confidence and a positive outlook, things do go well, or perhaps it is just that they at least appear that way as your attitude reflects it no matter what life is throwing at you.
It is true that with a positive attitude things seem to go better and we tend to feel better which increases not only our enjoyment but also our ability to attract success.
I don’t know about you but sometimes putting on a positive attitude, especially when it doesn’t match up with how I’m feeling feels more like a bunch of BS than a success strategy. I have known women who with their always upbeat, positive, “Can Do” attitudes simply smile through their pain as they go through yet another unfortunate circumstance.
The most successful people I have experienced know how to (or ask a coach to help them) dig beneath the surface and uncover the underlying beliefs that keep them stuck. The beliefs you have are like the operating system on your computer – it is always running the show whether you acknowledge it or not. The key to success is making these beliefs conscious, feeling the feelings that accompany them, and then transforming those beliefs layer by layer until your beliefs align with what you most want to create (new job, successful business, perfect mate, etc.). When they align it is like that perfect ahhh you feel when you put that all important piece into a puzzle and make a picture or align all those darn colors on a Rubik’s cube. Tension melts away and energy is available and aligned for what you DO want.
In “What Does Managing Your Spiritual Energy Have to do with Your Success in Business?” Sharon Wilson gives a nice explanation on the power of beliefs. Her conclusion sums it up nicely:
On the other hand, when you do make that inner shift, it suddenly becomes easier for you to take actions that may have been uncomfortable for you before.
If you identify some of these patterns, and then learn a process to better manage your energy around them, you now have congruency.
You now have a situation where you can make into reality the vision you long to create, because you are congruent in your thoughts, feelings, words and actions.
So while a positive attitude is a great building block, if you really want the success you desire, look a little deeper to shift your beliefs and create a more powerful platform on which to stand.
Photo Credit: Flickr
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