search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube instagram Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • TOPICS
    • Cool Roofing
    • Event News
    • Latinos in Roofing
    • Low Slope
    • Legal
    • Metal
    • Project Profiles
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Roofing Safety
    • Steep Slope
    • Sustainable Roofing
    • Technology
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Best of Success
    • Contractor Profile
    • IRE Show
    • Roofing Contractor of the Year
      • Enter Roofing Contractor of the Year
    • Top 100
      • Enter the Top 100
    • Young Guns
    • State of the Industry
  • MULTIMEDIA
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Roofing Quizzes
    • IRE Videos
    • Webinars
    • Photo Galleries
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Featured Products
  • COLUMNS
    • Editor's Note
    • Exit Planning
    • Guest Column
  • EVENTS
    • International Roofing Expo
    • Webinars
    • Best of Success Conference
    • Industry Events
  • DIRECTORY
    • Associations
    • Distributors
    • Manufacturer/Supplier
    • Business Services
    • Get Listed
  • MORE
    • Roofing Contractor Newsletters
    • Techos y Más Advisory Board
    • RC Store
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Company Spotlights
    • Classifieds
      • Auctions
      • Business For Sale
      • Business Opportunities
      • Equipment For Sale
      • Positions Available
      • Products
      • Safety
      • Software
      • Services
      • Training
    • Contact Us
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Advertise
      • Editorial Calendar
      • Contact
    • Archive Issues
  • SIGN UP!

Positive vs. Negative

By Al Levi
August 1, 2010
In my multiple contacts with all types of contractors, I hear how pessimistic they are. They have adopted a vision of the world where they see the glass as half full.



Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties...”  

In my multiple contacts with all types of contractors, I hear how pessimistic they are. They have adopted a vision of the world where they see the glass as half full. And whatever goes right at work and in their life they tend to discount as a fluke.  

If this pessimistic and negative approach really worked, I’d encourage them to do more. BUT IT DOESN’T!  

Worry and fear are natural occurrences for anyone who’s been in business for awhile, but it, too, doesn’t get you what you want but rather it gets you more of what you don’t want.  

It’s like a magnet where it attracts opposites. The opposite of what they want.  

The trick is to stay optimistic and positive even when things are not going exactly the way you’d like. You really have no other choice for the following 3 reasons:
    1.  Negativity and pessimism will have a destructive affect on your health. This is not my opinion, but it’s the opinion of the medical community  

    2.  Negativity and pessimism is a disease your staff can catch like a bad virus. And who wants to work for someone like that anyway?  

    3.  Negativity and pessimism make you less attractive to potential clients because it doesn’t convey confidence or likability.


What must you do?

You need to bombard yourself with positive thinking. The goal is to hear yourself while you’re saying or thinking something negative and challenge yourself to restate it in a positive way.  

Then, choose to surround yourself with positive and optimistic people even if it means joining a group or association.  

Read books and listen to audio from authors who espouse the power of positive thinking and staying optimistic.  

I absolutely believe that what’s wrong with most businesses is the owner. I was an owner, so I, too, was guilty of being the problem with the business. That was until I decided to stop blaming others and accept that I had the power to change myself first and rewire my defective thinking.  

It’s so important that I give a gift to all my Power Partner Clients as Power Partners with the one book I read each day. That book is Dr. Normal Vincent Peale’s Power of Positive Thinking Every Day.  

I read it every day before I begin my day. It improves my mood immediately and helps me get re-centered and regain my perspective. It helps me help others and that’s the most important gift I give myself.

Links

  • Give Me 60 Minutes And I'll Show You The Secrets To Running A Profitable Service Business ... Even During A Recession!
  • Step by Step Program

Share This Story

Al Levi has been helping plumbing, HVAC, roofing, remodeling, electrical and carpentry businesses solve problems, turn greater profits, and help owners get their lives and free time back for over 7 years. This is all based on his 25-year career at his family-owned and operated contracting business. For more information, visit www.60minuterecessionsolution.com.
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Blog Topics

Damato of the Day

Guest Blog

Recent Comments

Game Changer

Good Material

google...

Hi! If you still don’t know how to...

Helpful post—catching small roofing issues early can save...

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Sign Up for the Newsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Roofing Contractor audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Roofing Contractor or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • A residential roof with GAF Timberline shingles in Chestnut
    Sponsored byGAF Residential

    Selling Shingles on Beauty and Performance

  • Female standing in home kitchen doing accounting work from home calculates company financial statement, use calculator fill data results on laptop application, housewife manage family budget
    Sponsored byWatercress Financial

    Paying for a New Roof: What Homeowners Consider and What Contractors Should Know

  • A construction worker surrounded by so much data
    Sponsored byEpicor Software

    Supply Chain Optimization: Overcoming Challenges in the Building Supply Industry

Popular Stories

QXO logo and New York Stock Exchange

QXO to Acquire Kodiak for $2.25 Billion

hands holding prison bars

St. Louis Roofing Contractor Sentenced for $1.7 Million PPP Fraud During Pandemic

logos

Three Questions Emerging from the QXO-Kodiak Acquisition

Events

March 31, 2026

The Number One Reason Roofers Lose Money on Insurance Jobs and How to Fix It

Insurance supplementing is one of the biggest profit leaks on insurance jobs, costing contractors time, money, and control. In this session, we’ll discuss how proper training and process alignment can help teams manage supplementing more effectively keeping key decisions in-house and profits where they belong.

April 23, 2026

Homeowners Survey: A Roofing Customer’s Journey in 2026

Join the experts as they break down the data on another set of questions aimed at gaining insights into the rapidly changing home roofing and restoration market. Roofing contractors can use this data and insight to better understand what factors influence a homeowner's contractor selection process. 

View All Submit An Event
×

Be in the forefront of the roofing industry!

Join thousands of professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing