Do you have a positive attitude? Everyone will say yes, but less than one in 100 actually does! That is only one per cent. Are you really in the 1 percentile? All you have to do is pass this simple test by answering yes or no.

I watch the news for about one hour per day.

I read the paper every day.

I read a newsmagazine every week.

I sometimes have a bad day, all day.

I get angry for an hour or more.

I look to blame others when something goes wrong.

When something goes wrong or bad, I tell others.

I get angry at my spouse and don’t talk for more than four hours.

I bring and discuss problems to work from home.

I plan for the worst.

I’m affected by bad weather (too cold, too hot, rain) enough to talk about it frequently.

With 0-2 answers of ‘yes’, you have a positive attitude.

With 3-6 answers of ‘yes’, you have a negative attitude.

With 7 or more answers of ‘yes’, you have an attitude problem. Serious problem.

Several tests have revealed the following startling

statistics about why salespeople fail.

15 per cent: Improper training, both product and sales skills.

20 per cent: Poor verbal and written communication skills.

15 per cent: Poor or problematic boss or management.

50 per cent: Attitude.

This sounds almost impossible doesn’t it?

Salespeople (or anyone else) could succeed 50 per cent more if they just change the way they think. We become what we think about. But it’s a dedicated discipline that must be practiced. Want to begin to change your attitude to change your success (and income)? Try adding and living these thoughts and exercises —

• When something goes wrong, remember it’s no one’s fault but yours. You always have (and have had) a choice.

• If you think it’s okay, it is. If you think it’s not okay, it’s not.

• When you face an obstacle or something goes wrong, look for the opportunity. Ignore people who tell you ‘you can’t’ or try to discourage you.

• Check your language. Is it half full or half empty, partly cloudy or partly sunny?

• Avoid why, can’t, won’t.

• Say why you like things, people, job and family, not why you don’t.

• Help others without expectation or measuring.

• If you say I’m not ‘cause he’s not, who loses? If you say why should I, who loses?

• How long do you stay in a bad mood? If more than five minutes, something’s wrong.

Count your blessings every day. If you invest an hour a day for positive action or learning for yourself, your business or your family, at the end of one year you will have captured more than 15 full 24-hour days. You have a choice.