Watching a kids’ movie as an adult is always a roll of the dice.

It is either 90 minutes of joy, or what feels like double that, for a movie that never ends.

The first time I watched Cars, I was not sure which way it would go. Thirty minutes in, I was as locked in as my kids. The story centers on a talented but arrogant rookie named Lightning McQueen who wants one thing. To win.

There is a moment in the movie I have never forgotten. Someone asks him, “How did you know you could do it?” He shrugs and says,

A little arrogant? Yes. But also the mindset of a champion. He never entertained the alternative.

Most of us do the opposite. Before we apply for the role, we tell ourselves we are not ready. Before we start the business, we assume it will fail. Before we have the hard conversation, we convince ourselves that it will not go well. Before we take the test, we tell ourselves we won’t do well.

We not only rehearse doubt, but we also invite it. Instead of your mind being a weapon, it is a weakness.

But it does not have to be that way. You do not need arrogance, but you do need conviction. You do not need guarantees, but you need belief.

You can channel your inner Lightning McQueen regardless of your age or circumstances in life. Because the moment you stop entertaining the doubt is the moment your mind starts working for you instead of against you.

So here is the question to ask yourself today:

What have you already decided is impossible? And what might happen if you simply stopped thinking that way?

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.