Do You See Opportunity or Crisis?

Yet some businesses and people are thriving - in the middle of the same 'crisis'.

So what's different for them? What do these thriving people and businesses see and do that everyone else can't seem to see or do?

A lot of it comes down to attitude and beliefs. Yes, touchy feely stuff. But I do believe that how we perceive our world impacts our experience. My own life is enough proof for me. If we look around, we'll see lots of evidence.

• Find a growing business and you'll see a passion for creating the next opportunity. These teams consciously look for an upside, while everyone else focuses on sliding down the slippery slope.
• Find a successful person and you'll often meet a positive, focused individual who is all about viewing the glass as half full or even overflowing, who sees opportunity in each and every situation, no matter how dark it may seem. They shine a light into the darkness et voila - their world is bright.

What if adopting a positive viewpoint changes our crisis into opportunity?

In Chinese symbols, Crisis shares a common symbol with Opportunity.The symbol for 'Crisis' contains two words, danger and opportunity. Taken together - the symbols mean 'opportunity in a time of danger'. Imagine that! Inherent in every crisis is the aspect of opportunity.

So what determines the outcome? When a force intervenes to cause a 'turn for the better', the crisis transforms into an opportunity.

We can be the force that causes that turn for the better. We can power the swing from crisis to opportunity.

How? Our attitude! When we look at life with a positive attitude - we're more likely to see new opportunities, to think in out-of-the-box ways, to create differently, to believe in our abilities to power a positive outcome. Those are the key ingredients for success - in business or our personal lives.

It's not easy to focus on the positive in the middle of the storm. I'm often called a 'Pollyanna' thanks to my passion for seeking the upside. It used to hurt my feelings. Not anymore. Now I feel sad for those who see my positive focus as some fairytale fantasy. I know the power of positive. I've practiced it through many tougher-than-fiction crises in my own life. I've always come out stronger on the other side - thriving.

We can thrive. We all have the power to control how we see and respond to the world - and to benefit as our world responds in kind.

Are we the positive force that powers opportunity in crisis, or are we part of the crisis?

It's our choice. What do You choose?