I've learned that positive thinking and encouragement are essential for leadership and progress.

A positive atmosphere nurtures a positive attitude, which is required to take positive action.

A positive attitude is a choice, like walking to the other side of a street to avoid trouble or making a 180-degree turn when you feel you're heading in the wrong direction.

I can't dismiss my roots as a kid growing up during the Great Depression in the ordinary midwestern town of Grand Rapids, Michigan. From the standpoint of money and material possessions, we were barely scraping by.

People who achieve the highest levels of success - whether in business or in raising families or simply in discovering fulfillment and satisfaction and purpose in life - are those who place their focus on other people rather than themselves.