The Wilful Abuse of Positive Thinking
 |
Free Download - What Do You Do? By Esther Smith |
I was reading about Admiral James Stockdale, highest ranking officer in the "Hanoi Hilton" in Viet Nam as written by author Thomas Barnett. Stockdale spent eight years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi and was tortured numerous times by his captors. Four of his eight years were in solitary.
Mr. Barnett writes: "Stockdale tells the story of the optimists who never survived their time in Hanoi simply because they clung far too much to their dreams of release and in doing so couldn't handle the brutal realities of what it took to survive the day to day."
He goes on to explain how they tended to cling to the hope that they'd be home by the next holiday. When that day came and went, their spirit sank to a new depth. Over time, they died because their courage had been done in by the reality of their present circumstances. Stockdale believed that while you must always believe that you will prevail in the end, it should not be confused with current reality, whatever that might be.
Suddenly, I paralleled Stockdale's theory with Internet entrepreneurs; the extreme optimist. We are prime targets for zealous salespeople who promise residual slam dunks to starry-eyed prospects. While the result won't be unspeakable torture in our quest for wealth, it's sad to realize that ninety-five percent of us will fail simply because we never anticipated the obstacles.
If we are what we think, then most of us walk into a competitive program with "success" stamped on our forehead. We've already witnessed our sponsor turning his bank account into a "cash machine" - it can't be that hard, right? And when you think about it, today a million bucks seems more like a living wage than a small fortune. Millionaires are a dime a dozen: nearly 5 million households in America have a net worth of at least that much.
The most powerful drive in our country is the desire for more. It has become the DNA of democracy and therefore inherited by every American. Brainwashed in guru-jargon that claims nobody wants to be a nobody, we begin to believe the dream "nothing can bring me down". I'll run with the big dogs, join the new wave, use this "can't miss" strategy.
Consumed with "positive thinking" the decision path begins: I've done this before. This one pays more. I can do this. I can begin now. I will do this. Say it again and make it your own: I can. I will. Let's dance.
Fast forward a month or two, and Stockdale's theory materializes. No progress has been made in spite of the fact that this new kid on the block was well versed in return on Investment (ROI), understood the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and had written his own Articles on the hidden order of MLM du jour. Spirits drop. Attitudes go sour. He puzzles which should come first; getting it right, or getting it going?
Out of ideas, out of a plan and out of money, common sense now seems to get suspended. He falls into a Marketing Coma and the rest is history.
Winners are really losers who got mad. Get mad or stay employed.
© 2006 Esther Smith
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wilful Abuse of Positive Thinking - To learn more about this author, visit Esther Smith's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| Article Tags: |
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Esther's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Internet Marketing Secrets Procrastinator's Emergency Kit How To Double Your Business Purpose of Value Propositions Basic SEO Guide |
|
 | ||
 |
The Top 10 GTD Times Posts
Best Posts for Productivity | |
 |
Top 50 Raising Capital Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|||
 |
|
|
|
