Optimism is an incredible advantage. Look at all the successful people around you and ask yourself: How many are pessimists? Exactly.

The Power of Positive Thinking. The Secret. Whatever you want to call it, it works.

Marketing maharishi Seth Godin took a look around recently and observed high oil prices, corporate bailouts and a mounting financial crisis. His take?

“Opportunity of a lifetime.”

And because Godin sees opportunity, he's more likely than others to find it. The guy who's panicking with each dip in the Dow? Research says that he's less likely to succeed, simply because he doesn't think he will; he'll be blind to opportunity because he doesn't believe it exists.