A few months ago, while driving home from an errand, I saw a sign
on a building that changed my life. It was storming and there was
an end-of-the-world kind of darkness, even though it was the
middle of the day. Things had been on the negative side all day
and there seemed to be no end in sight for the bad news.

Suddenly, I noticed the sign on the building. It was the name of
a neighborhood Laundromat, and the sign said "Sunshine Center."
All at once, I started to smile as a flood of thoughts filled my
head. I remembered so many good things I've heard over the years,
such as; always have a good attitude, smile no matter what, and
the words to that good old song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"

Seeing those two words, sunshine center, was like a wake-up call
to get back to what I have believed in all along. I've long held
the belief that we can't always control what goes on around us,
but we do have control over how we react to the events.

Just seeing the word sunshine made the day seem much brighter.
The word center reminded me that we should have our own sunshine
within us at all times. By that, I mean a good attitude, a smile,
and the resolve to make lemonade whenever life gives us lemons.

A feeling of peace came over me when I saw that sign. In just a
matter of minutes I was able to think about a way to effectively
deal with the situation that seemed so hopeless. I realized that
I wasn't in such a rut after all. I just needed some sunshine,
and if it wasn't there, I would create my own.

The title of this article mentioned being more successful; it's
true. Later that day, I made a follow-up call to someone I had
almost given up on. They were waiting to hear from me and in a
short time became one of my best customers. There were some other
things that happened that day that contributed to a higher level
of success. Had the poor attitude stayed with me, I would have
missed out on so many things!

Also, having a good attitude might be able to help in other ways.
Medical research indicates that people with a positive attitude
may recover more quickly, and it seems to contribute to a better
overall sense of well-being.

Now, I use "Sunshine Center" as the name for the place within me
where the positive attitude and the self-motivating reminders are
alive and well. Corny? Perhaps. Effective? Nothing else like it!

A good attitude and the determination to make the best of things
can be conducive to a happier, more productive life.