Hero (18 page)

PETE CARROLL

My mom always said that something good is just about to happen. I didn’t realize this early on, but I’ve lived my life with the thought that no matter how dark or how difficult things become, there’s this consistent hope that it’s just about to turn. My mom gave me the gift of that. It keeps me positive and keeps me always looking toward things in an optimistic manner. I’ve been very fortunate to live my life with that thought.

Because of the duality on earth, there are always going to be both positive and negative experiences. But if you consistently look for the good and maintain a positive attitude despite outside circumstances, you will triumph. And there are no better words to remember to help you maintain a positive attitude than Pete Carroll’s mom’s words: “Something good is just about to happen!” If you always know that something good is just about to happen, your optimism will never waiver for long.

G. M. RAO

My spirituality helped me think positively even when things looked bleak.

People who are happy and successful think more about the good things that can happen, think more about having happiness, having money, and creating a rich and meaningful life, than they do the opposite of those things.

G. M. RAO

I have encountered so many well-educated people from wealthy backgrounds and of a high social standing who are not able to succeed because of their negative attitudes. Negativity pulls one down.

A pessimistic attitude toward life means a miserable life. At some point in your life you’ve no doubt encountered someone who is pessimistic about everything, and when you are with him or her it sucks the energy and the joy out of you. Well, that’s precisely what a pessimistic attitude does to you.

ANASTASIA SOARE

If you are a pessimist and you are depressed all the time that is going to kill any dream.

On the other hand, I’m sure you’ve known someone who is always up and has a cheerful and bright attitude toward life, and when you are with him or her you also feel fantastic and full of life. And that’s what an optimistic attitude does to you.

Show me one pessimistic person who is deliriously happy in every part of their life. It’s not possible, because even if they had everything they wanted, the glass would still look half empty to them!

PETER BURWASH

Two people are living side by side and one person wakes up in the morning and throws open the window and says; "Good morning, God!" And then the person next door, the pessimist, says; "Good God. It’s morning."

Just ask yourself whether you think blaming and complaining can transform a person’s life into success and happiness. Do you think whining and criticizing can fulfill a person’s dreams and give them everlasting happiness?

PETE CARROLL

One of the rules that always applies in our program is no whining, no complaining, and no excuses. They’re not the kind of thought patterns that support. That’s not going to take us at all where we want to go.

Do you ever see Superman whining? Do you ever see Indiana Jones complaining? Do you see James Bond blaming others for his lot in life? You’ll never see movie superheroes display any of these traits, because the moviemakers know that the superhero would immediately be diminished in your eyes and would no longer be a hero. And the audience would instinctively feel something was wrong; how can such a negative person become a hero? And the answer is, they can’t.

Blame, resentment, whining, and complaining are excuses we make when we’re not living the life we came here to live.

LIZ MURRAY

In our darker moments as human beings we start getting angry and entitled and blaming. I think anger, entitlement, and blame are all cousins of each other; they’re about what you should have had and what you’re lacking and who should have given it to you. I grew up thinking nobody owed me anything. Realize that anything you have you’re blessed to have, because it could just as easily disappear. That’s a much better attitude to have.

Because we see people around us who blame and resent and whine and complain, we can get the mistaken impression that it’s okay and won’t harm us. But all of those negative emotions will pull you down and down and disempower you until you feel hopeless. None of those emotions can ever fill you with the happiness you want and deserve. None of those emotions will lead you to your dream. None of them are befitting of the hero that you are.

LAIRD HAMILTON

It’s impossible that you’re going to be all cheery, happy, smiley, everything’s perfect all the time. There’s going to be jealousy, there’s going to be envy; all those negative things are going to occur at times. That’s just part of being a human. But do you give them ground to grow, or do you push them out and fill them with the positive things? What do you spend the majority of your time doing and thinking and saying? That’s what’s going to bear the fruit for you.

A positive and optimistic attitude doesn’t mean you don’t have occasional down days. You
will
have some down days. It’s not about the occasional down days, though; it’s about how many of the 24,869 precious days of your life you’re enjoying because of your positive and optimistic attitude.

PETE CARROLL

Try to operate on a daily basis with a quieted mind, not a mind that’s always second-guessing and wondering if you’re worthy. Negative thoughts like, “I don’t know if I can handle this,” “This is too big for me,” “I’ve never been here before,” “In the past I’ve come up short here or there,” draw your focus away from performing like you’re capable. We are likely to carry those thoughts with us and we won’t be as good as we could be.