The doors of opportunity are marked “Push” and “Pull.”
They’re also marked “PIVOT.” But read on. I’ll explain later.
I’ve spent my entire life observing people and studying peak performance. I want to know what brings out the best in each and every person. And with some thirty years of research behind me, I think I’ve learned most of the questions and found several of the answers.
One of the biggest questions – for sure – is that of success. How do I get more of it? How do I make EVERYTHING in my life better?
Another question has to do with energy. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW HOW TO STAY UPBEAT, ENTHUSIASTIC, AND POSITIVE … ALL THE TIME … DESPITE CIRCUMSTANCES.
And those are very important questions. Unfortunately, most people have not found the answers to their questions. They try to run their lives with an empty fuel tank or operate their organizations with the wrong kind of fuel. They don’t have the persistent, vibrant, barrier-crashing fuel … called a positive attitude … that they need. And that’s a shame – because your attitude is the number one determining factor in your success.
That’s why I wrote “PIVOT: How One Turn in Attitude Can Lead to Success.” All the research indicates that a simple turn in your attitude will make all the difference in the world. Dr. Martin Seligman, for example, discovered that attitude was a better predictor of success than I.Q., education, grade point average, or almost any other factor. He found that positive people stay healthier, have better relationships, and go further in their careers. He even found that positive people make more money.
THE PROBLEM IS MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET AND KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. That’s the other reason I wrote “PIVOT.” I wanted to tell you how to get a positive attitude that would never let you down. It’s entirely possible. And it’s not all that difficult – if you make a few simple turns in your life.
Of course, you may be skeptical. You may think it would be almost impossible for you to get and keep a positive attitude. And you may think I don’t understand how difficult your parents, spouse, children, finances, health, company, boss, job, coworkers, or customers are.
I do understand. This positive-attitude thing didn’t come easily for me. I’ve come through debilitating illness, divorce, and financial strain. I’ve seen my loved ones affected by abuse, alcoholism, imprisonment, and suicide. And I’ve encountered betrayal from co-workers, incompetent direction from bosses, and idiotic change from the executives above. I know what it feels like to have lots of challenges and still maintain a positive attitude.
The information in “PIVOT: How One Turn In Attitude Can Lead To Success” is simple, because I’ve never been interested in complex, esoteric academic theory. I’m only concerned with what works. And the skills in this book work. I’ve studied, researched, practiced, and lived these skills for years. So I know they will work for you as well.
But let me give you a couple of tips and tactics to get you started – which is all I can do in a “Tuesday Tip.” I can’t summarize 200 pages and detail all the strategies with a few paragraphs here and there.
=> 1. ASSUME THE POSITIVE.
The Chinese philosopher Lin Yutang wrote about this. He wrote about an old Chinese man who lived with his son. The man had one horse and the horse wandered away. All the neighbors came to commiserate with him on his bad luck, but the old man said, “How do you know it is bad luck?”
After a while, the horse came back, bringing with him several wild horses, and his neighbors gathered around to congratulate him on his good luck. But the old man said, “How do you know it is good luck?”
Now that there were so many horses around, the son took to riding, but he fell off and broke his leg. Again the neighbors came around to commiserate with him on his bad luck. He answered, “How do you know it is bad luck?”
Pretty soon a war started. But the son, because his leg was broken, did not have to enlist in the army. And so the story goes.
When difficulties come, when discouragement is threatening to take over, don’t automatically assume they are bad and get all upset. You don’t know if those difficulties are really bad, so remain a bit detached and nonjudgmental. It’s like the woman who said to her husband, “Our vacation is not a total loss, dear. Most people go an entire lifetime without ever seeing icicles on palm trees.”
Don’t jump to conclusions. Don’t assume your difficulties are negative. Assume the positive.
=> 2. MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE.
We all have to deal with some big issues in life. It may be the loss of a job, spouse, home or health. And they’re never easy to deal with.
But I’ve also noticed that little things in life can get people down. Little things like waiting in line at the supermarket, getting stuck in traffic jams, or being put on hold for the third time. Such things can really irritate or infuriate some people.
Whatever the case, big issues or small, you’ll be okay, you may even do very well … if you have the right attitude. And a part of that comes from perspective.
I learned that twenty-three years ago. I had just left the funeral of a two-year old child and went into the parking lot to get my car … which wouldn’t start. It was late; it was dark; I was in a bad neighborhood, and everyone else had left. Of course I called AAA to come and start my car.
Due to a number of circumstances, AAA couldn’t get there for a couple of hours. The AAA mechanic was very helpful and extremely apologetic about the delay. I was calm; I was okay with the entire ordeal, but the mechanic wondered why I wasn’t upset.
I’ll never forget the answer that came to me and has stuck with me all these years. I thought, “How dare I be upset with a car that wouldn’t start or a two-hour wait when I just came from the funeral of a two-year old?” Put in perspective, my situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. It meant nothing.
I can’t tell you how many hundreds of times I’ve thought about that situation. And every time I think about it, my attitude becomes a bit more positive. I simply refuse to let the little things get me down. I ask myself how important those little things will be in a week, in a year, or in the light of eternity. Of course, most of the time, those little things won’t matter at all, and so my attitude stays positive.
And you can be effective in any situation if you learn how to PIVOT … if you learn how to make a few simple turns in life. So I invite you to get a copy of “PIVOT: How One Turn In Attitude Can Lead To Success.”
Of course, you’re thinking I’m biased. I’d have to say nice things about “PIVOT” because I wrote the book. Well yes, I am biased. I’m proud of this book, and I’m excited about what it will do for you.
But don’t take my word for it. Listen to what the critics have to say. Listen to what business leaders, teachers, athletes, and winners from all walks of life are saying about “PIVOT.”
Take Lisa A. Smyth, for example. She’s in Corporate Management Strategies at the Estee Lauder Companies. Lisa says: “Everyone knows you’re supposed to have a positive attitude. But now, with PIVOT, there’s a book that tells you exactly how to get and keep one.”
Vince Poscente is a winner in every sense of the word, being an Olympic gold medalist, author, and speaker. He says: “The power of a positive attitude is indisputable. And in this book, you will learn how to develop an attitude that will break through any barrier and achieve any goal.”
“The praise continues. “Zimmerman is the perfect synthesizer. He has pulled together an invaluable collection of practical applications from at least twelve other books that I no longer have to read.” Dr. Sidney B. Simon, Professor Emeritus, University of Massachussetts
“If you don’t have time to read any other book this year, make sure you read PIVOT. It will speak to your head, touch your heart, and change your life.” Gordon Peters, CEO, The Institute for Management Studies
Convinced? I hope so – because you and the people in your life need this book more than I need your twenty bucks. In fact, twenty bucks seems awfully cheap when you consider the fact that you can trace just about everything you achieve or don’t achieve back to your attitude. So it’s time that you learned HOW TO GET and keep a powerful, positive attitude – all the time, despite circumstances.
REPETITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Unfortunately, most people “JUST DON’T GET IT!” They never have anywhere near the attitude they could have. But I really want YOU to “GET IT.”
Every bit of research on success makes it abundantly clear that the best way to incorporate new skills into your life is through the use of repetitive reinforcement. In other words, the more you read, review, or hear a certain skill, the more likely you are to use that skill … and use it effectively.
And the easiest way for you to get repetitive reinforcement is through audio learning. You can listen to a CD when you’re driving to work, mowing your lawn, or just about anywhere. That’s why I put together my audio CD entitled “ATTITUDE: The Only True Disability in Life is a Bad Attitude.” It contains seventy minutes of simple but practical skills that will help you build a more positive attitude.
I recommend reading “PIVOT” more than once. I urge you to listen to the CD over and over again, and you will see better results in every part of your life. I am absolutely convinced of that.
PRE-PUBLICATION SPECIAL
You need to get both the book and the CD. And to encourage you to do that, I’m giving you a pre-publication special. “PIVOT” will not officially hit the shelves until January. But if you order the book before December 12, 2005, I’ll give you $10 off the CD … which may make it the best and cheapest repetitive reinforcement you’ve ever received.
Let me clarify one thing, however. As I write this letter to you, the books are actually at the printer being printed. I don’t even have them in my hands yet. But I will have them soon. And my office will ship them out in the order your orders are received. First come, first served.
We will sell hundreds of books during this pre-publication special. So if you want to get your copies as soon as possible …and certainly before the holidays …order now.
QUANTITY DISCOUNTS
Better yet, if you want to make a real difference in your team, your department, your organization, or your family, you will want to give copies of “PIVOT” to those around you. The more people share the same set of skills, the greater the impact you will see.
That’s what Fred Manchur, the President of the world famous Kettering Medical Center, found out. He said, “We’ve been using Dr. Zimmerman’s speaking services for years, and it has literally transformed our organization. But now he has written down all his techniques, and they will transform your life and your organization as well. Get this book.”
Hey, “PIVOT” would even make a great Christmas gift to just about anybody on your list. So I’ll make it easy for you. Quite simply, the more books you order, the lower the price. And if you want those folks to have a copy of the “ATTITUDE” CD as well, you can have $10 off every one of the CDs you order. Check it out on the ordering page.
Still better, if you order 26 or more copies of “PIVOT,” I’ll give you that many copies of the “ATTITUDE” CD …FREE of charge. You can give them to everyone on your list to make sure they get the very most out of the material found in my book and CD. If you were to buy those 26 CDs at the regular price of $21.95 each, they would cost you $570.70 – but you’ll get them all FREE. I’ll eat the cost. That’s how much I want you and your team to be exposed to this material …because I know it really really works.
One final note: YOUR ATTITUDE WILL DEFEAT YOU FASTER THAN ANY PROBLEM YOU WILL EVER HAVE. So why waste any of your life with anything less than a positive attitude? After all, good attitudes bring good results and bad attitudes bring bad results. It’s that simple. And “PIVOT” will show you how.