There appears to be two kinds of people in this world. There are the whiners who believe the world owes them and the winners who believe they owe it to themselves to give the world their best.  Which are you?

SCARCITY SEEKERS VERSUS ABUNDANCE BELIEVERS

Whiners live in a world of scarcity. They think the economy is fixed and for every winner, there is a loser.  They worry about running out ... of money, of time, of life. 

Winners live in a world of abundance. They know the economy is in a near perpetual state of growth and expansion. While they recognize that in the short term, some may win and some may lose, but they believe over the long run, everyone can be a winner.

EXTERNAL VERSUS INTERNAL MEASURERS

Whiners compare themselves to others. As a result, they are smug when ahead and enviously seethe when others have more. Neither state leads to happiness.

Winners compare themselves to where they were and where they are going. While they derive satisfaction from the progress they have made, they are not about to rest on their laurels. They realize their journey continues on. This leads to fulfillment.

SECRETIVE VERSUS SHARING APPROACH

Because whiners live in worlds of scarcity, they are always afraid someone will steal their secret stuff.  Fearful, they do not share with others, so they do not learn what others have to share. And, when someone does share, they find it hard to accept, believing something was left out or there is some catch.

Winners share freely. They realize that in an exchange of information, like a business transaction, both sides gain. Sometimes the gain is new information learned. Sometimes it is new perspectives from questions asked. And sometimes, it is merely goodwill that will be cashed in the future.

NEGATIVE VERSUS POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Whiners have a negative outlook. They expect the worst and often get it. Because they expect every situation to be a scam, they miss opportunity after opportunity.

Winners are definitely positive, “glass is half-full” people. They expect the best from everyone and every situation, which they often get because people inevitably try to live up or down to the expectations set for them.

TAKERS VERSUS GIVERS

Because whiners are scarcity seekers in a zero-sum world, they try to “get theirs” before others can take from them. Whiners are takers.

Winners live in a world with an ever-expanding pie. The success of another does not reduce their opportunity, so winners give freely. They give others opportunity. They give financially to causes important to them. They give their advice and counsel. Winners are givers.

BLAMERS VERSUS RESPONSIBILITY TAKERS

When something goes wrong, whiners start a hunt for the guilty. This is especially true when the whiner is the guilty party. Whiners need a scapegoat so they can assign fault.

Winners, whether the source of a problem or not, take responsibility for it. Winners only look backwards to see what can be learned and avoided in the future. They are forward-focused, and instead of wasting energy blaming others, they redirect everyone towards solutions and the future.

RESTRAINERS VERSUS ENCOURAGERS

Whiners tell people why their ideas will not work. They tell people that they will fail. They discourage risk. Whiners restrain others.

Winners recognize that failure is a temporary state and is sometimes necessary for success. Instead of saying why, they say why not. They encourage others to try and to reach for more.

REACTIVE VERSUS PROACTIVE APPROACH

Whiners are reactive. They are constantly in catch up mode because they react to external events. They do not try to set things in motion.

Winners are proactive. They initiate. They are on a constant quest for improvement, which leads them to try new things and to start new ventures.

VACILLATION VERSUS COMMITMENT DECISION MAKING

Whiners vacillate when faced with a decision. They are focused on what they can lose instead of what they can gain. This paralyzes them. They go back and forth, instead of forward.

Winners know that few decisions are completely right or completely wrong and even a wrong decision can be overcome. What cannot be overcome is freezing in place and stalling. Winners call the shot, make a commitment and move forward.

STAGNATION VERSUS GROWTH OBJECTIVES

Whiners do not like change and they avoid growth, focusing on the problems, not the benefits. They stagnate — they stagnate as people, and stagnate in their companies.

Winners embrace change. They know that in nature and business, everything is either growing or dying, so they choose growth. They choose to expand and adjust to the challenges that growth brings, looking forward to the opportunities growth carries for their businesses and themselves personally.