Beliefs are pre-organised and pre-formed attitudes that make us perceive a situation in a particular light. There are many different beliefs that people hold about virtually every topic you can imagine and they are very powerful. These beliefs act as a type of filter that can either promote or limit your success. It is much more preferable for example to hold the belief that happiness is you birthright as opposed to believing it is something you have to work tirelessly for. If you hold the later belief then you will surely be unable to be happy unless you have worked tirelessly that day. Not an ideal belief to have. Here is a belief that you will find apparent in many successful men and women throughout the ages. It would certainly serve you well to adopt this belief and mental approach also. The belief I am talking about is the belief that every negative situation holds a the seed of a much more positive situation. In other words successful people see and focus on the positive possibilities, no matter how small they maybe in any given situation. Indeed in some cultures the word for opportunity and disaster are extremely similar and for good reason. After a disaster comes the clean-up and the time for rebuilding with a fresh start. By focusing on the positives you give no attention to the negatives and so they will fail to expand in your existence whereas, the positive benefiting from your attention can grow and expand. When bad situations do occur many people will either give-up, go out and and let off steam, maybe get drunk, shout or even get violent. Now whilst this may provide some initial relief it certainly isn't going to mend the problem or offer you any type of progress. Are you this type of person? Do you see the problems in difficult situations? If so then isn't it about time you started choosing a belief that served you better. Instead use your imagination and look at the positive possibilities in the situation regardless how small they maybe or how big the challenge maybe. This approach is the only one that will allow you to gain a positive outcome from an initial negative result. The great thing about this belief is that it will benefit you in all situations: in your relationships, in business, at work in your hobbies and sports. It cannot fail to help you progress and create beneficial opportunities. There are countless classic sporting examples of players and teams that only focused on the positives regardless of the circumstance. For cricket fans Ian Bothams 1981 ashes would aptly demonstrate this point, explorer Ranulf Fiennes' extraordinary round the world transglobe trip which was deemed impossible by all people but himself does too, and of course the many remarkable football and basketball team comebacks and player injury comebacks illustrate just how necessary it is to hold this belief. Furthermore take a look at what Mohandas Gandhi achieved during his life. After suffering from racism in different situations, from being thrown off trains to being made to remove his turban. Do you think Gandhi stood there and sulked, focusing on the negatives. Of course we all know what he achieved through use of non violent tactics but it was only through his focus on positive possibilities the belief that good could come from any situation that he made the amazing changes in the world that he did. OK, so maybe you look at the famous people mentioned above and think that this is a belief or a quality that only special people have and it wouldn't be much use in your life anyway. Well wrong and wrong again. You can develop the ability to see what you want from a situation, you can see the positives and you can make them in to reality. You do not have to submit to the everyday typical thoughts of the masses. Why am I sure of this? Because we all have the ability to choose which thoughts you focus on and which thoughts you let go of. Of course negative thoughts will enter your mind, that's fine but just don't dwell on them, move to a more positive thought and focus on that. So, make a positive decision that next time you encounter a difficult situation, you won't dwell on the problem or the negatives, no matter how disastrous they appear, but be sure to focus on the positive possibilities. That is where your progress to a more successful future will be.