When life knocks you down, refuse to give up. Get back on your feet and hit it back -- and go for nothing short of the jugular! You're in the driver's seat of your life. Never let other people -- or circumstances over which you may have little to no control -- get in the way of your happiness. Life is too short not to fight for what you want. Life is too short to throw in the towel anytime something doesn't go as planned -- whether you didn't get the job or the girl. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, focus your energies on what lies ahead. Instead of thinking that you missed out, consider that even better opportunities are in the offing. Maybe all it takes is to work a little harder and fine-tune your approach. If something bothers you too much -- if it has you down in the dumps -- it's because you're letting it have control over your thoughts and feelings. Don't let anything negative hold so much sway over you! For example, let's say someon...

What sets a positive thinker -- an optimist -- apart from regular people is that he or she sees an opportunity in every difficult situation . For instances, a person who has just lost his job may try to capitalize on the downtime by boning up on his computer skills or trying to get his own business off the ground. A student who's just failed an exam may sign up for after-school tutoring, forging strong relationships with her teacher and fellow peers that may last beyond grade school. A troublesome car that's always breaking down may prompt someone to finally start saving up for a newer, more reliable vehicle. A person who's afraid of flying is tasked with meeting with the vice president in another country. While terrifying, it affords him the opportunity to finally conquer his fear, making future flights a lot easier to swallow. What's the common thread across all these examples? That a good situation can come out of a bad one so long as a person doesn't...