If you are like me, I’m tired of the endless parade of talking heads on TV debating what we should do to succeed in these challenging times. Watching the ping-pong blame game and absorbing so many predictions of doom and gloom can take a toll on you.

From my earliest days, I’ve always thought the glass was half full, but from time to time, I do need to read something to reinforce the positive approach to life.

Napoleon Hill first published Think and Grow Rich in 1937, on the heels of the Great Depression. This little book was the culmination of 20 years’ worth of interviews with successful Americans. It provides timeless tips for staying positive—as well as a plan to turn your goals into reality even during the toughest times.

Following are eight selected quotes from Think and Grow Rich, along with some coaching tips from Jim Rohrbach on how to apply these principles. We all face adversity, so these are hints as we learn to thrive. ( A note on language: Hill wrote mostly in terms of success coming into “any man’s life”—naturally his lessons apply to all the women reading this, too.)

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.
Failure: let’s deal with it. One of Hill’s biggest findings was that before people achieve success, they must first find themselves on the brink of failure. Say this one again, out loud: “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

Few truer words have been spoken. Hill wrote that it’s not a question of whether adversity is going to come, but when. Sooner or later it will arrive. For many of us, it is here today. Every motivational book you’ve ever read dealt with someone overcoming something. And the bigger and nastier the challenge, the more interesting the story. So, what’s the next chapter in your story?

Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.
Look for opportunities. There’s no doubt our business landscape is changing, but there are people in all walks of life, out to stake their claim regardless of what goes on in the world. The real question is not what’s happening, but what are you going to do about it? What might be in it for you? What might it bring out in you? What’s your call to duty?

Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of men do.
Don’t join the quitters. The key word here is “temporary.” Defeat is temporary unless you help make it permanent. No matter how difficult things may get, “this too shall pass.” Make sure you don’t fall into the all-too-common trap of becoming paralyzed by inaction. As long as you are willing to get back up and fight another day, failure is only a temporary condition. Does Indiana Jones quit? No. Did Teddy Roosevelt throw in the towel? Never. And neither should you.

Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.
Why persistence works. Can you take that next step, even if you feel you’re in the dark and don’t know what’s going to happen? That’s the secret practiced by professional and Olympic athletes whose success can be determined by fractions of a second. “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel,” wrote Hill. Paradoxical as it seems, the greater the difficulty you face, the stronger the opportunity you have for character development.

No group of individuals had put their hearts, minds, souls, and bodies together in one definite decision to settle their differences with the British once and for all until Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Richard Lee got together.
Consider a mastermind alliance. In Think and Grow Rich, Hill illustrates how the power of a mastermind alliance sparked the American Revolution. The founding fathers’ “Committee of Correspondence” united the grievances of the colonists and consolidated and energized their efforts to throw off the yoke of the crown. Like those patriots, right now we’re in the midst of trying times. These are the times when we need each other most. If you are feeling isolated or that you must go it alone, consider how many successful people forge alliances with others.

No man is ever whipped until he quits in his own mind.
Tap the power of affirmations. Unfortunately, many people unintentionally become what some call negaholics. They don’t realize that the most important conversation you may have all day is the one you’re running in your mind with yourself. Tune in to that conversation. What is it that you are saying to yourself day in and day out? Whatever it is, you can bet it is shaping your life. Do you tell yourself life is hard and not everybody can succeed? Or do you tell yourself you’re ready for the best life you can get, and fully compete? It is easily within your power to choose what you tell yourself.

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.
Embrace personal development as a lifestyle. Ever begin a workout program, get in great shape, then stop and get flabby again? I believe a personal development program needs to be as regular as a workout routine in order to get results. If you stop working at getting better, your attitude gets flabby and you coast in the only direction possible: downhill. That’s why you would be wise to use your commuting time to put good stuff in your head, pump up your attitude with some discipline, and learn to work like you’re playing.

Anything the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Make a plan. Hill didn’t come to this conclusion lightly. It was only after interviewing hundreds of successful Americans with names like Rockefeller, Ford, and Edison that he realized the gravity of having plan. Their simple but powerful strategy is right here for you to duplicate. Determine for yourself a clearly defined sense of purpose, write it up in an advisor mission statement, and memorize it. Repeat it to yourself each day, and you’ll have a battle plan capable of withstanding any negative bombardment. If these ideas intrigue you, pick up a copy of Think and Grow Rich and join other like-minded folks on our discussion board for a free critique of your own mission for success. By studying the wisdom in such a book, you too can attain the mental toughness to withstand troubled times and rebound to success.