Optimism changes your luck. It changes your perspective on things that happen in life. It allows you to rise above the things that hold most people down and provides you the wisdom to respond to situations rather than react to what happens.

I hear people talk about Murphy’s Law, which basically says that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and at the worst possible time. People who believe it wind up experiencing it. Most of the time it plays out exactly as they imagined.

For years, my wife and I joked about Murphy’s Law. We believed the universe had placed a target on our backs and was out to get us. Every time we turned around, it seemed something was going wrong. We had developed a Murphy’s Law mindset. We even thought about changing our name to Murphy Brown. We were absolutely convinced we couldn’t catch a break. That somehow we were dealing with things that other people weren’t.

The reality is that most of what we were dealing with was normal. It was just life. It’s the kind of everyday things that drag people down and add to their stress. By themselves, these things are small. If you try to explain them to people, they will look at you and ask, “So, what’s the problem?” The challenge is that life happens on top of work and kids and marriage and everything else we have to deal with—everyone demanding our attention and desperately needing something from us.

Heroes think differently.

Heroes are larger than life. I don’t mean flamboyant or weird. I’m not talking about walking into a room with your arms raised and announcing, “Relax, everyone, I am here to save the day.” For heroes, it’s the opposite. A hero walks into a room and, through his or her attitude and actions, portrays that, “I am here to serve today!”

In order to serve others, heroes rise above the challenges and adversities of everyday life.

They have conditioned themselves to be bigger than their problems. They lift themselves and others up and provide a new perspective.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is get a different view of the problem. You have probably heard the saying, “I can’t see the forest for the trees.” It’s absolutely true. When you’re in the thick of a crisis, you think it’s only happening to you. A case of the “poor, pitiful me” syndrome seeps into your head. It becomes difficult to see anything good. It’s tough to be optimistic and see solutions when you are focused on the problem.

Heroes flex their optimism muscle and begin to see what’s possible instead of what’s probable.

They look for solutions instead of reasons that it can’t be done. They learn how to look from above the fray where they can think, create, and decide on the things that are most important to move their highest priorities forward.

Rise up and take control. Optimism can take you places you’ve never dreamed of if you’re willing to see life as it was meant to be seen.

This post includes excerpts from Kevin’s newest book The Hero Effect®: Being Your Best When it Matters the Most.

The Hero Effect® is a personal revelation that also holds profound implications for business. It’s an insightful narrative that challenges conventional thinking and reveals a brand-new paradigm in the world of everyday heroes. After reading, your team will be motivated to reach beyond what is required and do something remarkable! This book is designed to help individuals and organizations achieve greater results by eliminating “ordinary" thinking and mastering the habit of excellence.

Purchase Your Copy Here.

Photo credits (in order of appearance): Susan Duran and Rawpixel on Unsplash