In a recent journey that connects two different times and two different continents, I’ve come to appreciate the impact that one individual can have when he struggles in a mighty way to find God’s will for his life. Both men have gone viral in their own time. To me, both are inspiring stories.

One was Martin Luther whose stand triggered the Reformation in 1517. The other was Glenn Beck whose recent Restoring Honor Rally touched hundreds of thousands in attendance and even more who were watching from afar. One took advantage of the printing press, the other the Internet and media coverage. Both took risks to take a stand for God and for the rights of individuals to be free to find their own way to faith.

On a recent Path of Luther Tour in Germany, I was confronted again and again by the power of one lowly priest, preaching in a remote German village who, relying on God and Scriptures, helped unleash the fire of a living faith that transformed an age.

In the city of Worms, Germany, Luther was called to recant of his views expressed in the 95 Theses that he had posted in Wittenberg against the abuses of the Catholic Church of that time. It was in Worms that he made his bold and memorable stand: “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”

Because of his offenses against the Pope and Rome, Luther was never allowed to enter the Imperial Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Worms, but, today, it remains the only Catholic cathedral to have a stained glass window honoring the German reformer.

Our guide said when talking about the window that they left the Bible under his arm a bold red because, at the time of Luther, “faith was on fire for God.”

On August 28th, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Glenn Beck avoided political attacks and partisan rhetoric. Instead, he called on Americans to get on their knees and get right with God. For it was only then that America would again find its way. Like Luther centuries before him, he called for an awakening to the power of faith in God. Glenn Beck and the thousands attending lit a spark to put faith on fire in this great country.

No matter how you feel about Glenn Beck, Beck used his address at the event to emphasize the spiritual nature of his challenge to America and the role that ministers and churches must play in reviving faith. Glenn put his trust in God and challenged those in attendance to listen for his will in their life, “My message to you tonight is stand where He wants you to stand and trust in the Lord. If He tells you to do it, do it. If you can’t figure it out, He will. Just do it.”

Luther put the Bible in the hands of the average believer to let them experience a personal relationship with God. When, to Luther’s dismay, they turned their passion for freedom into attacks on others, Luther implored them to stop. Glenn Beck did the same. Instead of condoning hatred, he called for a change in heart. Since then, there have been numerous critical and supportive comments and commentary. I wish only to add that I respect the risk he took to speak and live his faith. History is the best judge of true impact. But both men in their own time speak to the power of purpose in creating optimism for the mission they espoused.

What are you doing to let the power of purpose and faith work in your life?

As I share in The Optimism Advantage, “Developing strategic competencies becomes a powerful tool for inventing a profitable future. One thing worse than training people and losing them, is not training them and keeping people who aren’t prepared for the future you want to create!” If you want to get the right job or keep the one you have, become an effective negotiator.

Robert McGarvey once said, “When your mind is open, mentors are everywhere.” Well, have I got some mentors for you today!

If you have ever had a feeling in the pit of your stomach before a negotiation because you felt you were about to leave a pile of money on the table, you might very well be suffering from what some have labeled “Negotiaphobia.”

In today’s competitive and challenging economy, EVERYBODY can profit from learning better negotiation skills. Two mentors worth listening to are Don Hutson and George Lucas, authors of the new book, The One Minute Negotiator. This great resource provides simple steps to reach better agreements on and off the job. Here are four gems worth putting into practice:

1. Most people make the mistake of going to “Compromise” too quickly which can be very costly! Go to compromise when: it is late in the negotiation, the spread in positions is small, and you can tie it to an immediate resolution;

2. Most negotiation trainers teach either win-win or win-lose tactics; Our model has four strategies each of which we suggest using when you deem it appropriate: Avoidance; Accommodation; Competition; Collaboration;

3. Let the other side put a number on the table first unless you have a firm rate card you must follow;

4. Don’t contract “Negotiaphobia”! Plan in advance for every negotiation, and go in confidently; Lucas and I have often said that the “Negotiaphobics” of the U. S. have left enough money on the table to pay off our national debt!

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To get a feel for the book and the authors, watch Don & George’s short interview on CBS. Go to www.TheOneMinuteNegotiator.com, but whatever you do, consider taking advantage of this offer while it lasts.

Robert Half once said, “The search for someone to blame is always successful.” True optimists aren’t looking for excuses or searching for people to blame. They’re busy finding ways to bounce back and make the best of any setback that comes their way. Instead of looking back, they’re looking forward.

Micron Technology and its subsidiaries manufacture and market semiconductor devices worldwide. CEO Steve Appleton, has no room for excuses in driving for the results that mean survival for his company: “Maybe it would be a super world if there were no winners and losers. I don’t think there has been any time in human history where that was true. That’s not the way it is. People in other countries want what we’ve got, and they’re going to go after it. Hey, I’m not going to teach my kids that it’s OK to lose. Somebody is going to want their jobs. Somebody is going to want their standard of living. They need to know life isn’t fair. Wake up and get used to it.”

As discussed in The Optimism Advantage, Tom Denners disability taught him an important lesson: “When I grew up, I had physical problems, but my mind worked well. My mother would never let me feel sorry for myself. She just wouldn’t allow that. You’ve got to realize that a situation is only a situation, and you can’t lose perspective. You can’t let outside circumstances control you. I had an advantage, because I grew up with a handicap. So I think I knew that outside circumstances are just circumstances. I realized that I always had to continue with what I still had left—which was life.”

No matter what life deals you, refuse to label yourself a victim! Depending upon what has happened to you, you might find it tempting to label yourself as a “victim.” But allowing yourself to embrace that label can strip you of the will and the positive attitude you need to overcome the adversities you will continue to encounter. Optimists, by definition, refuse to let what happened to them define or limit their lives.

Be a resilient survivor no matter what you face. If you are still alive, you are not a victim; you’re a survivor. The label you claim for yourself has a direct effect upon how you think and act. It also has consequences in terms of how others perceive and respond to you. “Victim” brings with it an image of continued suffering under the weight of a heavy burden from past experiences that cannot be changed. Addressing yourself as a “victim — and having others do the same — produces feelings of helplessness, despondency and sometimes anger. The term “survivor,” however, brings to mind someone who endures, lives through the adversity, persists and bounces back to make progress anyway. To be repeatedly addressed as a strong and resilient survivor by others encourages feelings of pride and personal empowerment. Being a victim is passive; it leaves you feeling powerless, with little faith or hope. Being a survivor is active; it encourages you to regain control of your life and work together with others to rebuild your future. Being a victim creates pity; being a “resilient survivor” invites respect.

So no matter how bad the economy or your life — don’t let people call you a “victim.” Too many seem to treat “victimhood” not as a temporary problem to be overcome, but rather as an identity to be nurtured. Define yourself instead as a “resilient survivor” and live that definition every day. The best way to overcome adversity is to succeed in spite of it. Victim thinking is a seductive trap that leaves you chained to events that can’t be changed. The good news, however, is that you have the key to unlock your own chains – and it starts with claiming a new label: “I’m a resilient survivor who is ready to get on with my life!” If you want to remain a victim, that is your choice. But if you are ready to change, there are many optimists out there ready to help you do so. We are meant to be masters of our own future, not victims of anyone else’s actions or abuse. But to do that, you have to transform your thinking and your habits to embrace earned optimism.

These may be tough times, but you are earning hard-fought victories that will develop your character and your optimism that will last you for the rest of your life. For now, choose optimism and work to keep your American Dream alive.

(–Adapted excerpt from Terry Paulson, PhD, The Optimism Advantage,)

As I discussed in The Optimism Advantage,” years ago, a cancer survivor shared with a friend his struggle with the question—”Why me?” After a moment’s silence, his friend asked, “Did you ever think to ask yourself ‘Why not me?’” It had never occurred to him to even ask that question. That question unleashed a liberating insight. He realized that life is neither fair nor unfair; it’s simply life. Bad things can happen to anyone. “Why me?” assumes I should be exempt from the pain everyone else feels. “Why not me” is humbling and appropriate. It introduces us to the reality that life’s challenges happen to everyone. Difficult days are facts of life, but learning to deal well with those difficult times can help you become stronger.

Faith helps believers turn adversity into renewed strength. Rabbi Harold Kushner has written extensively on the subject. He affirms, “The God I believe in does not send us the problem; he gives us the strength to cope with it.” There is new scientific evidence that faith does help us cope with loss.

A Canadian study published in Psychological Science, provides a clue as to why people of faith live longer lives and enjoy better physical and mental health. Researchers found that belief in God works much like an anti-anxiety drug, creating a buffer against defensive or distressed reactions. A study by researchers Michael Inzlicht and Alexa Tullet from the University of Toronto Scarborough found that being prompted to think of religion before completing tasks resulted in less defensive reactions in the brain to mistakes.

“Religion seems to act as a palliative for believers. It buffers them against the pains of everyday living. It offers meaning, and it structures their understanding of the world,” says Inzlicht. “As a result, when something bad happens, that framework makes them less anxious about it. The point here is the power of the mind to change external circumstances.”

Perspective matters. Faith matters. You don’t need researchers to prove it. Even in the toughest times, God is near. You may want to memorize two of my favorite verses that I claim in times of adversity and loss:

Matthew 6:33-34: “Your heavenly father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In these challenging times, may your faith see you through no matter what is happening in your life today.

As I noted in The Optimism Advantage, Laker Coach Phil Jackson, the most winning coach in NBA finals history, has challenged players and leaders alike to take the middle path: “I got to watch him (Red Holzman, former coach of the New York Knicks) very closely. He talked philosophy with me, and he talked about the importance of staying not too high, not too low and not letting victories or defeats send you tumbling one way or the other. He believed in what was called the middle path.” Never get too engrossed in setbacks, nor get too excited about the latest victory. After all, whether as a company or as an individual, you don’t just want one good year. Any team wants a sustainable dynasty that finds a way to get beyond any setbacks to win year after year. Coach Jackson never over-coaches or micro-manages his players. He lets them play through the tough runs to gain confidence in their own abilities to bounce back. In short, whether leading others or managing yourself, be a “perspective leveler.” Be humble about success and don’t let overconfidence in the good times set the stage for complacency. Be confident in the face of setbacks. You’ve bounced back in the past, and you’ll do it again.

Harry Truman put it well: “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” Even if you’ve been on the receiving end of terrible losses, abuse, crimes or cancer — don’t label yourself as a victim. You are a survivor. You control the resilience, resourcefulness, and persistence you demonstrate in the face of any adversity. You also control your initiative and innovation in turning your happy accidents and unexpected opportunities into satisfying achievements. Adversity need not define you; instead, it can refine you. If you are still alive, you are not a victim. You are a survivor of all that has happened. Choose earned optimism over any form of victim thinking. Keep your focus on finding and capitalizing on the opportunities that are out there even in tough economies.

On our trip to the “I’m Truly Home Now!” You can add the sense of excitement in their voices and the tears of joy in their eyes, but let’s allow their own comments to speak for themselves:

Kassegn Befekadu, born deaf in Ethiopia, said, “There are no rights there for people like me. I have so many opportunities here. I can get an education; I can drive and work. I love America.”

Narek Bznouni, speaking with the energy of any California teenager, said, “I thank my mother every day, because life is so much better here. I’ve lived here all my life. Now, I finally feel like I belong.”

Roya Dura Mohammad, from Pakistan, confessed, “In Pakistan, after 5 o’clock, you cannot go outside because it is dangerous. In here, 24/7, I go when I want to go. In here, life is, like, way different. Thank you America, for having me here in the United States.”

Miguel Zaragoza, came from the Philippines with his mother and now is a tank mechanic in the U.S. Army. He says with pride, “I miss my family in the Philippines, but I don’t miss the poverty. It’s a pleasure for me to live in such a great place, so, to my fellow citizens, don’t take this for granted.”

For India immigrant Avtar Singh it was one word that said it all, “Freedom.”

Dag was so right! In writing The Optimism Advantage, I realized that optimists should never forget that bad days are only half of the cards we’re dealt; we also are given more than our share of good days. When you face challenging times, is your glass half full or half empty? Have you ever tried admitting that it’s both? Everyone’s life – including your own — has more than its fair share of both bad and good accidents. And while the bad ones get the press, the blessings have a way of passing by unnoticed and unappreciated. Whether you take time to appreciate them or not, your life has plenty of happy accidents.

For starters, you didn’t have to wait and work hard to become citizens. You were born in a country you didn’t choose and to a mother you didn’t get to pick. But if you were born to parents in a developed country, that’s a happy accident that positively impacted your life in more ways than you can count. So if you want to count your blessings today, start with that one!

Join me Thursday, July 22nd, at 11:00 AM on Blog Radio’s Gab With Gurus.

Maybe you can add your thoughts on the importance of gratitude. While you are at it, what would you add that you are grateful for as a citizen in this great country?

“This team embodies what the American spirit is all about,” Donovan said after the game. “We had a goal disallowed the other night. We had another good goal disallowed tonight. But we just keep going. And I think that’s what people admire so much about Americans. And I’m damn proud.” So are we all.

Like Donovan and the team, optimists never give up. As I write about in The Optimism Advantage, optimists stay future-focused on going up, around, over or through any obstacle to win the game–whether that is soccer or the great game of life. They are action oriented. They let go of setbacks and get busy making the best of the next opportunity. You can’t get stuck in the rearview mirror when all the opportunities are out the front window. It’s not how many times you fail; it’s how quickly you bounce back to try again.

“We can moan about it, or we can get on with it,” Donovan asserted. “And we kept going, and we believe.” The only thing that could defeat them was if they ran out of time. That’s what winning optimism is all about.

The US coach Bob Bradley observed, “In this last cycle, guys have grown, taken leadership roles. As a team we’ve grown stronger; we’ve had experiences where we’ve been hardened. These guys put a lot into it. They never quit.” Amen! It was but another late goal by the US team who came back to tie both England and Slovenia in earlier games.

As I stress when I speak on optimism, optimism is not motivational hype; it is earned through a track-record of overcoming obstacles. The more obstacles you overcome, the more you believe that you can do it again.

Now, by finishing atop its first round group, the US is the highest rated team in their semi-final bracket. Having to get by Ghana and then Uruguay or South Korea will not be easy, but the US has the experience and the personnel to do that. As Donovan said, “We’re not done yet. We believe, man. We’re alive, baby.”

Thanks for giving us a lesson we can apply in the game of life. Never give up. Let go of the past and keep fighting. Win or lose in the next round, thanks for the example you have given us. You should be proud of your efforts.

SECRET 1 – Life is difficult and unfair; get used to it. College is more difficult than high school; life is more difficult than college. Every increase in the degree of difficulty let’s you experience the satisfaction of mastering that next level. As you stretch your mental and relationship muscles, they will work even better for you. Maturity and true optimism come from a track record of overcoming increasingly tough obstacles. You have what it takes to overcome life’s difficulties; prove that to yourself.

SECRET 2 – Develop a sense of gratitude. Be thankful for what life gives you every day. You won the lottery; you are living in America. You’re not entitled to a great job with a high salary, a perfect partner or an easy life. When you expect less, you are happier when you achieve more. The next time you feel like calling a pitty party, write down your blessings instead of your problems.

SECRET 3 – Your best mentors believe you have something great inside you and challenge you to prove it to yourself. So don’t settle for easy teachers or mentors. When I went from being a great student in high school to being challenged in college, I realized an important truth—your best and most caring teachers are the ones that care enough to challenge you. They believe you have something great inside you, and they call for it to surface. After all, if you think your teacher is tough, wait until you have a boss.

SECRET 4: Don’t be your own worst enemy. Henry Ford said: “Most of the bars we beat against are our own. We put them there, and we can take them down.” Instead of whipping yourself over mistakes, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” In short, progress on your journey is about getting out of the rearview mirror and back into making your life better by learning from mistakes.

SECRET 5 – Catch yourself being effective daily. Develop your own inner appreciation for what you do well. You won’t be good in all areas, so don’t copy the dreams of others. Turn your God-given gifts into a way to make meaning and enough money. You may be winning and not know it if you are not keeping score; keep track of your successes in a daily journal or by saving daily messages to yourself about what you did well.

SECRET 6 – Be nice to your parents along the way. Your parents are doing the best they can. You never came with a manual or a warranty. So the next time you feel like being upset with them, remember that they love you and you love them! The older you get the more you will appreciate them. You might as well start now.

SECRET 7 – Live your “American Dream” but live it with passion, integrity and patriotism. Some of your professors may have done away with winning and losing, but Life has not. Some may actually believe that America is the biggest problem in the world instead of the champion of liberty and economic opportunity that holds the world together. They may try to tell you that all moral choices are relative, and there is no standard of right and wrong. These opinions don’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. You aren’t entitled to a good life, but you are blessed to be free to pursue it.

SECRET 8 – Be kind and respectful. It isn’t just what you know in life that will get you ahead; it is how you treat others. Be nice to all the people you meet along the way. Manners are the lubricating oil of relationships. If you learn that now, it will pay off throughout life. If people say that nice guys finish last, they have no idea about what the real finish line is.

SECRET 9 – Cultivate your faith. People may try to convince you that God does not exist. Many intellectuals think that their minds are vastly superior to centuries of faith experience. God will be near you all the way through your coming years whether you acknowledge Him or not. He patiently waits for your prayers, for your study of His word, and for your presence at a faith community of your choice. Meet Him half way.

SECRET 10 – Laugh a lot. Take your school, your homework, and your career choices seriously, but always take yourself lightly! People like being with people who smile and make them laugh. Remember that the safest target for your humor will always be yourself. When you laugh at yourself before others do, you win!

None of us take advantage of all these secrets, but it’s worth trying. Make memories, make a difference and enjoy the journey. We all want you to succeed.

Optimists are the opposite of victims. With positive attitudes built on a personal track record of overcoming adversity, they believe in their own ability to achieve their goals and overcome whatever obstacles hinder them. When dealt a poor hand, they look for ways to play it well. They take pride in their achievements and look forward to life’s challenges. The choice is yours.

Unfortunately, claiming your own optimism advantage takes more than the mere decision to do so. It requires a long history of changing how you think and act. This isn’t a movie that’s all wrapped up in a fancy bow in two hours. This is a soap opera, and you’re the only star that counts. Your challenge is to make your life’s soap opera as positive as possible.

Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” So bring some new eyes to your life today and have some fun writing your own personal soap opera one day at a time. You’ll want to fill your cast with people who will encourage and support you, and steer clear of those who belittle and doubt you. As with any soap opera, there’ll be challenges, setbacks, victories, defeats, laughter, tears, joy, grief, record profits and sizable losses. Your job is to keep making progress in claiming the life you want to live, one day at a time, one choice at a time.

Hopefully, the insights you read at this blog and in The Optimism Advantage will help you write your positive script and find your supportive cast of characters.

Some clichés are so wise that they’re worth repeating—“Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” Life is way too precious to waste boring yourself in an existence that isn’t satisfying; and there’s no time like the present to take responsibility for changing your situation. Waiting won’t make it any easier, and it won’t make success any more likely. Stop being your own worst enemy and start becoming your own best advocate. Why not start today! You’re the author, and you’ve got a script to write. Make it a good one!

Why wait? Claim a little more simplicity now; avoid the wasted cost and stressful aggravation involved in competing for who can own the most toys and the biggest mansion. Writing commentary from Kentucky in the early years of our country, Francis Johnson wrote: “If we fasten our attention on what we have, rather than on what we lack, a very little wealth is sufficient.”

When our son traveled with some other teenagers on his first service mission to Mexico, he came home with a surprising observation. He had expected before he left that he would find children living in poverty to be unhappy.
But as he watched these young people entertain themselves with makeshift toys and teens play on dirt fields, he saw more smiles, joy and laughter than he did with teens from home.

The most satisfying simple pleasures seldom involve accumulating more things. You think you have more possessions, but those possessions in many ways have you. Mark Sanborn reinforces that insight when he says, “You can’t have it all, but when you know what is important, you don’t want it all anyway.” Oh, so true.

But practical help is on the way. Jeff Davidson and Mark Victor Hansen’s Simpler Living provides practical help in reclaiming the joy of simple living. In a world overflowing with unnecessary clutter and confusion, Jeff takes you room by room and checklist by checklist to help you take back control of your living space. Simpler Living provides more than 1,500 easy, specific tips and techniques for cutting back, paring down, and breathing easier–without sacrificing the quality of life you deserve. Every page is filled with practical ideas to take back control of your house, car and office. Add it to your library today and get started on your simple living campaign.

If you want added information, don’t forget to take advantage of his Breathing Space Blog for ongoing support and suggestions.