The success of a business depends on the mindset of the owner. Do you surprise, how successful retailers maintain their competitive advantage? Yes, it is mindset, where their thoughts begins and ends. Our thoughts have a great role to play in the output. Whatever we think about, it determines how we feel, and what we will do and ultimately what we will get out of it.

Take the example of the media who are in recent times, strangling the lifeblood out of the word recession and having a field day with it. But, don't you think the media uses negative vibes even when the news is primarily positive? Why do have to do this? So, why do they do this? Because, bad news sells! And news has to sell, since it's the primary reason for its existence.

Bad news sells more as it creates a sense of urgency in us. We should appreciate the analogy from the Minister for Inspiration - "Life is like a sausage machine". The old kind of sausage machine with the turning handles, just think about it, if you put into the sausage machine despair, overwhelmed and lack of control. Just guess what's going to be in your sausage!

Do you know that in order to make yourself feel down about certain things, you have to generalise. Yes, the economy is terrible, and your customers are not getting any money, but the staff don't care. Did you ever thought about these things closely? They just don't stand up and when you get focused, the economy is terrible, but is it really? Is it for everyone? Or are some people making a lot of money?

The danger in negative thinking is subscribing to the belief, which is crap for everyone. Thus, we need to have balanced views in every situation:

• See it as it is
• See it as better than it is now
• Make it like you see it