IWillTeachYouToBeRich - Optimism in 2020

Reader,

When I think about the most successful people — CEOs, entrepreneurs, busy parents — one thing they all have in common is that they are positive, even when things aren’t going their way. 

Years ago, I visited an army base to speak to the troops about leaving the military and finding a job. We were sponsored by a three-star general.

Now for those of you who don’t know (I didn’t), a three-star general is a pretty big deal, there are only so many. But the thing I remember most about this formidable general is that within 60 seconds, you just liked this guy. 

He had a million other things he could have been doing, but he was sitting there actually asking me where I’m from. “Ah Sacramento, I’ve been there a couple of times.” I realized that in order to be that senior, he actually had to be incredibly charismatic.

At one point in the conversation, we asked him how he deals with bureaucracy. He works in the military, tons of red tape. Does that ever get frustrating? Here’s what he said:

“Look, we all know the military has a ton of bureaucracy. That’s something I knew coming in. It’s something I work on every day. I think you can approach it constructively. I just know if I do my best every day, eventually we’ll get there. Might take years, might even take longer than I’m here, but I have faith that eventually we’ll get there.”

Wow.

To tell you the truth, I find this hard to do. I think I naturally skew to being a little bit more negative. But I’ve realized in life that I have a decision to make: Do I want to dwell on the negativity around me, or do I want to try to be more positive? 

It isn’t always easy to be optimistic. There are systemic forces and outside circumstances that influence every part of our society and our everyday life. I believe in acknowledging our privilege and working towards a more just society. 

But I also believe in personal responsibility and possibility. Positivity is a choice. 

As we prep for Thanksgiving next week, this is a great time to think about where you are choosing to place your focus. Are you dwelling on the negativity in your life? Or are you choosing to focus on the positive?

Today, I want you to respond to this email and answer these three questions:

1. What are all the sources of negativity in your life? Be honest with yourself and write them all down — friends, websites you visit, bars, negative thought patterns, etc.
   
   
2. Of those, what are the top three things from that list that really bring you down?
   
   
3. For each of those 3 things, tell me how you’re going to flip it from negative to positive.
   
   For example, let’s say I hate cleaning my house. It takes a long time, it’s tiring, and it's boring. Here’s how I’d flip it from negative to positive: I can clean while I listen to an amazing podcast, it gives me time to think about bigger questions, and I get a clean house afterward!

Take some time and send me your answers. I read every response. 

P.S. For more, head over to my Instagram where I recommend my 3 favorite books on identifying the narratives we tell ourselves, persevering when the stakes are high, and how to get back up after a setback.

Tomorrow, I’m going to share my favorite course on cultivating confidence, focus, motivation, and optimism. Stay tuned.