Positive Mindsets Aren’t Undefeated—Negative Mindsets Are

It’s easy to be positive when everything’s going your way.
It’s easy to be negative when it’s not.

I was reminded of that truth during a recent member-guest golf tournament. Twenty flights, six teams per flight, 120 teams total. After 27 holes, my partner and I were dead last in our flight—along with 19 other teams who found themselves in the same position.

That meant we were all headed to the dreaded Death Flight.

Most teams had already checked out. They were frustrated, negative, and just ready for it to be over. But not us. We knew we had a choice: Stay stuck in a negative mindset or choose a positive one. We reminded ourselves that positive mindsets aren’t undefeated—but negative mindsets are.

We still had 18 holes left, two nine-hole matches to create momentum and turn things around. And slowly, we did. We won a couple of holes early, started believing again, and the snowball of success began to roll our way. By the end, we won our final five holes in our second match, not only securing the Death flight, but also winning our flight outright. We went from last to first—something that had never been done in the tournament’s history.

Ultimately, we came up just one shot short in the final shootout, but the lesson was clear: Positivity doesn’t guarantee victory, but negativity guarantees defeat.

So whatever you’re facing this week, choose wisely.

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