Thinking big...

I have been reading a rather inspirational book "The Magic of Thinking Big." It has me thinking about a lot of "big" things, namely - the power of positive thinking, the importance of finding energizing peers and colleagues, and the leadership paradox. I know I have the tendency to be my own worst critic, and at times, it causes a serious crisis of confidence in my interactions with others. I don't know where it comes from, whether it is innate or ingrained, but it wasn't until I read this book that I learned I could take conscious steps to overcome these thoughts. It makes sense how negative and self-critical thoughts stymie success and lead to mediocrity, but the converse didn't immediately occur to me - that you could think your way to success. It seems that there is something false about that, something delusional, that you can't make something true just because you stubbornly, adamantly believe it to be true. Yet, it is no coincidence that the most positive and happy and confident people are the ones that give out the most energy and in turn are the ones that get things done - they are the ones that become leaders. Ever met a pessimistic CEO who was successful? We think ourselves into action and we act ourselves into thinking.