Positive thinking is the right attitude

Positive thinking can take anglers and hunters farther down the road to success than negative thoughts. I'm going walleye fishing later this week, and I'm already feel confident and positive about catching fish.

One thing I've noticed over many years in this fishing and hunting business, and writing about trips and photographing them, is that negative thinking is a downer. People who also plan to go fishing tonight are probably asking themselves: "I wonder if we'll hit the walleye bite tonight? I hope we catch some fish."

Not me. I know we will hit the bite, know we are going to catch some fish, and feel good about our prospects. I'd be a liar if I didn't admit to being wrong on occasion, but none of us bat 1,000 percent. I find myself being successful far more often than not wit this attitude.

When I shot the cougar above with a bow at six feet I knew it would mean an instant death.

For me, my glass is always half-full while pessimists believe their glass is half empty. I am the eternal optimist. I try to see the bright side and up-side about everything I do, and although that doesn't work all the time, thinking positive thoughts are important to personal success.

I've used this analogy before. A red-white Dardevle has always worked for me when casting or trolling for northern pike in Canadian pike lakes and rivers. There is something special about the spoon's wobble and paint job that turns on big pike.

So, do you suppose I'd make a pike fishing trip here in Michigan or in Ontario without carting along 10 pounds of Dardevles of various colors and sizes? It's not very likely I would trust a day or week of my fishing time without bringing along lures that have always proved themselves as being superb fish-catchers.

Positive thinking can make any fisherman or hunter better at these pastimes. Looking on the bright side of things is like carrying a lucky rabbit's foot in your pocket. It gives you a mental edge, and often, that's all it takes to become productive on the water or in the woods.

Believing in yourself, and your fishing or hunting abilities, is very important.

One of the key things about positive thinking is it has a tendency to point your brain in the proper direction, and that allows the human mind to filter out extraneous stuff and narrow our focus onto things that count and will help.

There isn't a night I hunt deer that I don't believe an opportunity will present itself. That I turn down many opportunities, or once or twice a year, hunt without seeing a single animal, is beside the point. It doesn't dampen my enthusiasm or cause me to second-guess my reasons for being afield and in that particular location.

You see, I believe in myself and my personal abilities. I know what to do, when to do it, and am confident that my tactics will work. If they don't, regardless of the reason, I still continue to believe in myself and that makes me much more confident when fishing or hunting.

Looking into the crystal ball doesn't show me doom and gloom. It shows me opportunities to succeed, to catch fish, shoot deer, and to do all of the other things that I write about.

It allows me to believe in myself. A personal belief that the fish will hit, the deer will move, the roosters will flush in front of the pointer, are deeply held beliefs of mine. These thoughts bring hope to my heart, and with such positive thoughts, it makes me a better angler and hunter.

The power of positive thinking is a necessary to success. It pays to be optimistic.

When and if something goes wrong, and the fish don't bite or the game doesn't move, it's not my fault. There are days when such things do happen, and it's somewhat easier to chalk it up to how nature works. But, even though I get skunked on the lakes and streams at times, it's not because I wasn't thinking positively.

My beliefs are simple: I believe in my personal fishing and hunting abilities. I believe that I can catch fish and shoot a buck if I wish, and even though I pass up many deer every year, the opportunities for success are there whether I choose to shoot or not. I believe my thoughts on fishing and hunting are positive in my mind, and that those thoughts and this whole concept is what makes me successful.

For me, believing in myself is very important. Anglers and hunters who strive to be optimistic rather than pessimistic are generally the most successful sportsmen of all.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors