Your Outlook Makes a Difference

This guest article is written by Roslyn Rozbruch, my partner at Tax and Business Solutions Academy and my wonderful, wonderful wife. 

Roslyn's Food for Thought - Your Outlook Makes a Difference

I was talking to a friend recently about her husband’s latest business venture. He’s a writer, and his income is sporadic. Living in Los Angeles, many of my friends are involved in the entertainment industry in some way. There’s an opportunity to make lots of money working in this industry, but there are a lot of dry spells, too. My friend’s husband is excited about his idea, and she is skeptical, which is a common experience between spouses — no matter what your business. I’ve been approached by men and women at conferences Michael has spoken at, saying they admire how supportive I am of him. They ask me how they can get their spouse to do the same. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of ideas, although bringing a spouse to a conference or a meeting is a good way for them to understand what you are doing, and that can be helpful.

The interesting thing wasn’t so much that my friend wasn’t being supportive. As she said, “He’s had so many ideas that haven’t worked out in the past; I just don’t want to get my hopes up if this falls through.” Even though he’s had more projects fall through than work out, he’s also made a lucrative income. I told her that what happened in the past didn’t matter. You can’t go back and change what has happened; all you can do is look to the future.

Even though my conversation with my friend started off with her discussing her husband, it came back to her and her own attitude. I told her that it wasn’t a question of “if” his business idea would work out, but more like “when.” There’s a big difference between those two words. I told her all she needed to do was to believe in him and know he’d do it again. That holds true for you if you ever doubt yourself and what you are doing. Believe in yourself first.

Keep moving toward your goals, and don’t look behind you into the world of “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.” It’s a waste of time and energy, and it robs you of the moment you are living in now. Also, don’t let the negative ideas of others get in your head. I never share an idea with someone if I don’t think they will be supportive. I think you know who in your world is supportive or a naysayer.

The simple act of starting your day with a positive attitude over a negative one can
make a big impact in your life. It’s not just my opinion; positive thinking, a growth mindset, and mindfulness are a growing phenomenon and a popular trend right now. Of course, you also need to do the work to achieve your goals, but it’s better to start off on a positive note than a negative foot.

I think Wayne Dyer said it best:

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

I truly believe that. This holds true for anything in your personal or business life.