Perhaps it was said best by the great Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” Further, he said, “Begin – to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished.”

Was it was world-renowned philosopher “Anonymous,” or was that your mom, who said: “The man who believes he can do something is probably right, and so is the man who believes he cannot?”

The great 20th century philosopher William James said, “Be willing to have it so. Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”

And too often these days, that “misfortune” is the weight of being unemployed. Sometimes for far too long. But what is the alternative? To quit looking? To give up? Look for inspiration in your life, it will help your motivation, your attitude, your persistence, and eventually your success. Quitting should not be an option.

Football coaching legend Vincent T. Lombardi said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”

You’ve heard it said before, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Could it be that the solutions to the problems and misfortunes of life are so simple?

George Bernard Shaw said, “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” Wow. Pretty tough stuff, huh.

General George S. Patton said, “Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”

So, you may ask, what is the assignment? To feel sorry for yourself? To accept defeat? To stop looking for a job? To do nothing but answer ads on internet job sites for another six months, like everyone else is doing? No. You’d be wise to follow the direction and ideas of Abraham Lincoln who said, “Things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

What else can you do in your job search to stimulate possibilities and leads? What have other successful job search candidates done to achieve success, and find a new position? In life, we are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. If unemployment is getting you down, you have a problem. Seek a solution. Adversity reveals what we are made of. It is easy to accept defeat, but success and satisfaction come from solving the problem.

Often the difference between success and failure is the little extra push that you make, and your steadfast refusal to accept anything but success. So, you ask, what is that “Hidden Secret of Success?” It is your own thinking. What you think, how you view the world, as well as yourself, and your positive thoughts. Truly, we are what we think.