One day, I decided to change my mindset about the number of people who wanted to use my services, and just see what happened. I began to market myself by giving talks about hypnosis, and promoting these talks with fliers and through press releases. This time, I held the attitude that I would reach the people who were interested. Almost immediately, my practice began to grow.

How many people do you know who begin a project, a hobbie, or a new business with stars in their eyes? They have the ability, the desire to make it a success, but after the first couple of bumps or setbacks, they give up and quit. These folks lack one ingredient they need to be successful - optimism. This concept gives them the attitude that with a bit more work and perseverance, things will get better.

A person can have incredible gifts, but if they don't do anything with them, because they don't believe in themselves, they won't achieve anything. That same person can have all the motivation and desire to get ahead, but if they lose heart and get discouraged when things don't go their way, they will begin to give up and stop doing what's necessary to create a success. In "Learned Optimism," by Martin Seligman, it states that talent plus desire, but without optimism, will result in failure. Therefore, optimism and belief in oneself is absolutely paramount to succeeding in any venture.

When a person has a belief that things won't work out, the Universe fulfills that concept. When an obstacle comes up, we need to seek out new avenues of expression rather than just giving up, or just going through the motions. It's been said that, "God can't steer a parked vehicle." As long as we're moving in a direction, we can be guided, if we believe we will be. If we figure, "What's the use?" then the Universe has no opening to help us. We've blocked It out. We then sink into a swamp of despair of our own making.

Answer: It's very helpful to have a list of your main goals, like your top five or ten. I keep an index card of my current goals on display on my desk. I learned about doing this from Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich," where he describes writing your goals, and reading them at least twice a day. I had a friend who built her business this way.

To increase your faith and confidence, I'd suggest that you write a positive statement on the top or bottom that affirms that the Universe is manifesting them. Something like, "The Universe takes these desires and manifests them, or something better, in the Divine Right way." Make sure you read them at least twice a day, in the morning and evening. Or you could carry the paper with you, and read it several times during the day. The more you read them, believing in their manifestation, the quicker they'll manifest.

Wow! This is another book that I'm recommending to my clients, participants in my classes, and practically anyone who's ever experienced depression, pessimism, or difficulty in achieving their dreams. Based on over twenty years worth of research, Dr. Seligman shows how optimism combats depression, improves health, enhances success, and much more. Not a rah-rah book for being positive, it covers the questions about his research and how he came to his conclusions.

There are exercises to test whether you're optimistic or not, and how depressed you might be. A thought always precedes an emotion, and Dr. Seligman found that pervasive negative thoughts always preceded a person's depression. He describes how some people "learn" to be helpless, and then don't try, even when they are assured of success. If you're a parent, teacher, or have a child in your life, the author explains how children become pessimistic and how it affects their lives. He even addresses the conditions when realistic thinking, not optimism, is best in the situation.

Best of all, this book gives instructions on how to change your thinking from pessimistic to optimistic. You simply have to learn how to change the way you explain the situations of your life to yourself. In other words, change your internal dialogue.

It's an engrossing and entertaining read, considering that it covers much of his research. But it also gives case histories of people who have changed their lives. I can't recommend this book highly enough.