One branch of the military trains soldiers on more than physical conditioning and technical skill. They train their mindset just as intentionally.
One of their core mindset principles is simple, yet demanding.
Have a positive outlook, no matter the scenario.
Now, just imagine the extreme, chaotic, and often awful situations a soldier could be called into. High stress, life and death situations. Seeing people and events at their worst.
Yet, they are trained to control the one thing they always have access to, their optimistic outlook. Now, if soldiers are trained to carry a positive outlook into the most difficult conditions imaginable, here is the question worth asking. Why don’t you?
This does not mean ignoring reality. It does not mean pretending conditions are good when they are not. It does not mean toxic positivity.
It means looking directly at the situation as it is and intentionally choosing the most productive perspective available. Because the story you tell yourself determines how you act next.
Two people can face the same reality. One panics, one adapts. One freezes, one moves forward. The difference is not the scenario. It is the outlook.
A positive outlook is not about being cheerful. It is about being useful. It creates clarity under pressure. It fuels problem-solving. It keeps negative emotions from running the show.
So just for today, have a positive outlook, no matter the scenario.
Have a positive outlook, no matter the scenario.


Check out the Optimistic Outlooks podcast and leave a review to help the show grow.
Use Your Gifts,
John Eades
Creator, The Leadership Lens & The Optimistic Outlook
