Being Positive

"This book will change your life." A friend told me a couple of weeks ago when I was feeling extremely low. It was a book written by Dani Johnson about becoming successful, making money and starting your own business.

I'll confess now - I only got up to the second chapter. Although the book was endlessly cheesy, flooded with a constant row of testimonials about how this book indeed 'changed their lives' - It did make me question  'What do I want in life?' and 'How will I get there?'

I am in a pretty tight spot right now, so spent a week applying for a couple of jobs. I got two interviews. One interview was for a 'Sales Assistant', which I was told there was an office more local to me, in Peterborough. I was told because I showed an 'eagerness to progress' I was to be invited to Norwich to meet the manager there. It turned out it was for a direct marketing company whose only office was based solely in Norwich, which operated on a 'no win, no fee' basis. Meaning - if you don't make any sales that day, you don't get paid. If you get through - you get through as a self employed trading partner - means less taxes to pay for both parties, but they don't have to give you a minimum wage too. The progression they promised was swift - they promote strictly internally, and many 'trading partners' gave their testimonials again and again, about how quickly they climbed up the ladder.

The other interview was truly based in Peterborough, as an I-card Coordiantor for a television company. Reads cool on paper, right? It was a temporary job but a far more steady income, with a very small office situated beside a warehouse. "I'll be honest with you." The interviewer said, "There's a lot of pressure that comes with this job. Between you and me, our boss is looking to sell the business, so everyone is concerned about their position here. There is a great deal of uncertainty." When I first learnt about the job description, it described an ideal candidate to be a very creative individual, but there didn't seem to be any creativity involved in the job at all.

I was lucky enough to be able to choose between these two positions, and it all came down to 'What do I want in life?' and 'How will I get there?'

I chose to be a Sales Assistant, and went through my training in Norwich. I can honestly say that I have learnt a great deal about business and about life in general the past week or so. Although I am currently not breaking even, I have really enjoyed my time working with these people.

The biggest thing that I have learnt recently via the book, via being a Sales Assistant, via moving forward and shoving my depression and illness aside, is that attitude makes a HUGE difference in about nearly everything you do.

When I have the right attitude - When I applied for those jobs, I got the interviews, I got the positions. I wouldn't have gotten any responses if my attempt was half-hearted. When you have the right attitude, your inner dialogue isn't "I can't do this" or "I don't want to anymore", it's "Let's do this", it's "I can, and I freakin' will." If you want to be successful, if you want to run that business, or heck, even have a decent holiday or make a damn good cake - if you have the right attitude, you're 99% there.

So what do I want in life? How will I get there?

I want a steady income, a successful business, far too many pets and to travel the world.

How will I get there? Well first, by working damn hard and being positive.