January13 – “Optimism, unaccompanied by personal effort, is merely a state of mind and not fruitful.” (Edward L. Curtis)

Yesterday I wrote about the notion that my attitude – whether or not I think I can do something – either opens the world for me or slams the door. Having optimism and believing that I can do something is a necessary first step, but it does not guarantee success. A healthy optimistic outlook doesn’t mean that I will actually get anything done.

Today, Curtis reminds us that it while optimism may open the door to success, it is our own personal effort that moves our feet forward through the threshold.

As I am continuing to work on my objectives for the year, one of the things I must factor into the formula is my willingness to put my personal effort into those objectives in order to succeed.

Today my reflection is on the lethal combination of optimism and a strong effort to succeed. Finding those things I believe I can do, and then putting my whole self into them will ensure success.