I’m the first to admit that I’m not the world’s most positive person. I tend to keep my expectations modest and speak about myself in self-deprecating terms.
If I feel confident about something then I’ll say so, but I don’t like to take anything for granted.
But maybe I’ve been approaching this all wrong.
When it comes to things like manifestation and affirmations, I tend to shy away. I don’t believe you can imagine your way to success if you simply send enough positive vibes out into the universe.
But that doesn’t mean those things don’t work on some level.
How many times have you heard a story about someone who believed they could achieve something and persevered until they did?
It’s basically the same thing.
My novel will be published in a few months and instead of preparing myself for the inevitable disappointment of minimal sales and limited reach, perhaps I should be telling myself that I will succeed, that I can do this. After all, success is about perspective.
That doesn’t mean I’m going to be winning the Man Booker Prize any time soon, but it does mean that if I see myself making this book a success and I work hard and enjoy the process as much as possible, then the outcome will be better.
While I’m never going to become a beacon of positivity, I can believe that I’ve written a good book that I can be proud of, one that other people might like to read.
By putting myself out there and applying for as many opportunities as I can, or pitching for articles and events, or entering awards, eventually some of them will pay off.
I don’t have to minimise myself and my ambitions, just in case. I don’t have to prepare myself for failure because it doesn’t have to be the default.
And if it works out that’s great! But if it doesn’t, I can learn from the experience and try to do better next time.
I’m going to keep telling myself that anyway – think positive, think positive, think positive!